EVELYN  RAYMOND 


REELS   AND  SPINDLES 


W  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


SHE  PULLED  A  BOOK  FROM  HER  POCKET  AND   BEGAN  TO  READ. 


REELS    AND    SPINDLES 

A  Story  of  Mitt  Life 


BY 


EVELYN    RAYMOND 

AUTHOR  OF  "A   DAUGHTER    OF  THE  WEST,"   "A   LITTLE 
LADY  OF  THE  HORSE,"   ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY   FRANK  T.  MERRILL 


BOSTON  AND   CHICAGO 
W.   A.  WILDE   COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1900, 

BY  W.  A.  WILDE  COMPANY. 

All  rights  reserved. 


REELS  AND   SPINDLES. 


PREFACE. 

IT  was  love  for  others  which  made  Amy  Kaye  make 
use  of  the  first  opportunity  which  offered,  even  though 
it  was  an  humble  one  and  she  was  handicapped  by  igno- 
rance. But  having  once  decided  what  course  was  right 
for  her,  she  followed  it  with  a  singleness  of  purpose 
and  a  thoroughness  of  effort  which  brought  a  prompt 
success.  The  help  she  was  to  others  was  no  small  part 
of  this  success.  For  in  an  age  of  shams  and  low  ideals 
the  influence  of  even  one  sincere  girl  is  far-reaching ; 
and  when  to  that  sincerity  she  adds  the  sympathy  which 
makes  another's  interests  as  vital  to  her  as  her  own, 
this  influence  becomes  incalculable  for  good. 

It  is  the  author's  hope  that  the  story  of  "  Reels  and 
Spindles  "  may  aid  some  young  readers  to  comprehend 
and  make  their  own  this  beauty  of  simplicity  and  this 
charm  of  sympathy  which  are  the  outcome  of  unself- 
ishness. 

E.  R. 

BALTIMORE,  April  3,  1900. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGB 

I.  A  BYWAY  OF  THE  ARDSLEY u 

II.  THE  MILL  IN  THE  GLEN 23 

III.  FAIRACRES 33 

IV.  HALLAM 47 

V.  A  KINSMAN  OF  THE  HOUSE 60 

VI.  SETTLEMENTS 70 

VII.  THE  "  SPITE  HOUSE  "  OF  BAREACRE      ...  82 

VIII.  NEEDS  AND  HELPERS 93 

IX.  THE  WATERLOO  OF  BONAPARTE  LAFAYETTE         .  105 

X.  HOME-MAKING 117 

XL  THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL      .  130 

XII.  BAD  NEWS  FROM  BURNSIDE 142 

XIII.  AMY  PAYS  A  BUSINESS  CALL 154 

XIV.  PEPITA  FINDS  A  NEW  HOME           .        .        .        .167 
XV.  FACING  HARD  FACTS 181 

XVI.  AMY  BEGINS  TO  SPIN 192 

XVII.  THE  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  BALAAM           .        .        .  210 

XVIII.  THE  FASCINATION  OF  INDUSTRY     ....  224 

XIX.  MOTIVES  AND  MISUNDERSTANDINGS         .        .        .  236 

XX.  IN  THE  OLD  HOME 248 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXI.    A  PECULIAR  INVITATION 264 

XXII.    Two  WANDERERS  RETURN 279 

XXIII.  FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME    .        .        .    292 

XXIV.  FAIRACRES  is  CLOSED 304 

XXV.  MYSTERIES  "AND  MASTERIES         .        .        .        .315 

XXVI.    A  PICNIC  IN  THE  GLEN 324 

XXVII.  A  DOUBLE  INHERITANCE  IN  A  SINGLE  DAY        .    333 

XXVIII.  ONE  WONDERFUL  AUTUMN  DAY          .        .        -345 

XXIX.     CONCLUSION 363 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

"  She   pulled    a   book   from    her  pocket  and  began  to 

read  "     .         .         .         .         .         .         Frontispiece       12 

"  '  Take  care  !     You'll  drop  sperm  on  the  rug,  tipping 

that  candlestick  so  ! '  " .68 

"  '  Then  I'm  glad,  glad  that  you  are  to  have  Pepita '  "     .     173 

"  She  so  gently  manipulated  the  swollen  ankle  and  bound 

it  with  the  lotions  "......     262 

"  He  began  to  gather  up  the  coins  "  334 


REELS  AND  SPINDLES. 

CHAPTER    I. 

A    BYWAY    OF    THE    ARDSLEY. 

THE  white  burro  had  a  will  of  her  own.  So,  dis- 
tinctly, had  her  mistress.  As  had  often  happened, 
these  two  wills  conflicted. 

For  the  pair  had  come  to  a  point  where  three  ways 
met.  Pepita  wanted  to  ascend  the  hill,  by  a  path  she 
knew,  to  stable  and  supper.  Amy  wished  to  follow 
a  descending  road,  which  she  did  not  know,  into  the 
depths  of  the  forest.  Neither  inclined  toward  the  safe 
middle  course,  straight  onward  through  the  village,  now 
picturesque  in  the  coloring  of  a  late  September  day. 

"  No,  Pepita.  You  must  obey  me.  If  I'm  not  firm 
this  time,  you'll  act  worse  the  next.  To  the  right, 
amiable  beastie !  " 

Both  firmness  and  sarcasm  were  wasted.  The  burro 
rigidly  planted  her  forefeet  in  the  dust  and  sorrowfully 
dropped  her  head. 

Amy  tugged  at  the  bridle. 


12  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"Pepita!  To  —  the  —  right!  Goon.  In  your  native 
Calif  ornian  —  Vamos  !  " 

The  "  Californian  "  budged  not,  but  posed,  an  image 
of  dejection.  The  happiness  of  life  had  departed; 
the  tale  of  her  woe  seemed  pictured  in  every  hair  of 
her  thickly  coated  body;  she  was  a  broken-hearted 
donkey. 

Amy  Kaye  was  neither  broken-hearted  nor  broken- 
spirited,  and  she  was  wholly  comfortable.  Her  saddle 
was  soft  and  fitted  well.  The  air  was  delightful.  She 
pulled  a  book  from  her  pocket  and  began  to  read. 
In  five  minutes  she  was  so  absorbed  that  she  had 
forgotten  Pepita's  little  mannerisms. 

After  a  while  the  "  Californian  "  moved  her  head  just 
enough  to  gain  a  corner-wise  glimpse  of  a  calm  and 
unresponsive  face  beneath  a  scarlet  Tam ;  and  evidently 
realizing  that  she  had  become  a  mere  support  to  the 
maid  who  owned  her,  uttered  her  protest. 

"  Bra-a-ay  !  Ah-umph  !  Ah-umph  —  umph  —  mph  — 
ph  —  h!" 

Amy  read  on. 

Pepita  changed  her  tactics.  She  began  to  double 
herself  together  in  a  fashion  disconcerting  to  most 
riders ;  whereupon  Amy  simply  drew  her  own  limbs 
up  out  of  harm's  way  and  waited  for  the  burro's  anat- 
omy to  settle  itself  in  a  heap  on  the  ground. 

"All  right,  honey." 

Then    she   resumed    her    book,  and    the    beast    her 


A   BYWAY    OF    THE    ARDSLEY.  1 3 

meditations.  Thus  they  remained  until  the  rumble 
of  an  approaching  wagon  caused  the  now  submissive 
animal  to  rise  and  move  aside  out  of  the  road. 

Again  Amy  tested  the  bridle,  and  found  that  she 
might  now  ride  whither  she  pleased. 

"  Is  it  so,  beloved  ?  Well,  then,  that's  right ;  and 
when  you  do  right  because  I  make  you,  it  is  one  lump 
of  sugar.  Open  your  mouth.  Here.  But,  Pepita,  when 
you  do  right  without  compulsion,  there  are  always  two 
lumps.  Into  the  forest  —  go  !  " 

Pepita  went.  Suddenly,  swiftly,  and  so  recklessly 
that  Amy  nearly  slid  over  her  head. 

"  Very  well !  What  suits  you  suits  me.  I'm  as  good 
a  sticker-on  as  you  are  a  shaker-off.  Besides,  a  word 
in  your  ear.  It  would  be  quite  the  proper,  story-book 
sort  of  thing  for  you  to  try  and  break  my  neck,  as  a 
punishment,  since  I'm  almost  running  away." 

Though  she  had  always  lived  within  a  few  miles 
of  the  spot  the  girl  had  never  before  visited  it.  That 
she  did  so  now,  without  knowledge  of  anybody  at 
home,  gave  her  a  sense  of  daring,  almost  of  danger, 
as  new  as  it  was  fascinating.  True,  she  had  not  been 
forbidden,  simply  because  nobody  had  thought  of  her 
wandering  so  far  afield ;  yet  the  habit  of  her  life  had 
been  such  as  to  make  anything  out  of  the  common 
seem  strange,  even  wrong. 

"  However,  since  I'm  here,  I'll  see  what  there  is  to 
see  and  tell  them  all  about  it  afterward  —  that  is,  if 


14  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

they  will  care  to  hear,"  she  ended  her  remark  to  the 
burro  with  a  sigh,  and  for  a  bit  forgot  her  surround- 
ings. Then  she  rallied,  and  with  the  spirit  of  an 
explorer,  peered  curiously  into  all  the  delightful  nooks 
and  corners  which  presented ;  not  observing  that  the 
road  grew  steadily  more  steep  and  rough,  nor  that 
Pepita's  feet  slipped  and  stumbled,  warningly,  among 
the  loose  stones,  which  were  so  hidden  by  fallen  leaves 
that  Amy  could  not  see  them.  Along  the  sides,  season- 
ing at  convenient  intervals,  were  rows  of  felled  timber, 
gay  with  a  summer's  growth  of  woodbine  and  clematis, 
now  ripened  to  scarlet  and  silvery  white. 

Amy  was  an  artist's  daughter.  At  every  turn  her 
trained  eye  saw  wonderful  "  bits  "  of  pictures,  and  she 
exclaimed  to  Pepita:  — 

"  If  father  were  only  here  !  See  that  great  rock  with 
its  gray-green  lichens  and  its  trailing  crimson  tendrils ! 
Just  that  on  a  tiny  canvas,  say  six  by  eight  or,  even, 
eight  by  twelve,  how  it  would  brighten  mother's  room  !  " 

The  "  Calif ornian  "  kicked  the  leaves  impatiently. 
She  had  no  eye  for  "bits"  of  anything  less  material 
than  sugar,  and  she  had  long  since  finished  her  one 
lump ;  she  was  tired  of  travelling  in  the  wrong  direc- 
tion, with  her  head  much  lower  than  her  heels,  and  she 
suddenly  stopped. 

It  was  quite  time.  Another  step  forward  would  have 
sent  them  tobogganing  into  a  brawling  stream.  With  a 
shiver  of  fear  Amy  realized  this. 


A    BYWAY    OF    THE    ARDSLEY.  I  5 

"  O-oh !  Oh !  You  knew  best,  after  all !  You 
wouldn't  come  till  I  made  you ;  and  now  —  how  shall 
we  get  out !  Hark  !  What's  that  ?  " 

The  burro  had  already  pricked  up  her  ears.  There 
was  a  shout  from  somewhere. 

Amy  managed  to  slide  off  and  fling  herself  flat 
against  the  slope.  When  she  tried  to  climb  back  to  a 
less  dangerous  spot  the  twigs  she  clutched  broke  in  her 
hands  and  the  rocks  cut  her  flesh.  The  adventure 
which  had  been  fascinating  was  fast  becoming  frightful. 

"  Hil-loa  !  Hil-1-loa  !  " 

Clinging  desperately  to  the  undergrowth,  she  man- 
aged to  move  her  head  and  look  down.  Far  below  in 
the  ravine  somebody  was  waving  a  white  cloth. 

"  Hilloa,  up  there  !  " 

She  was  too  terrified  to  speak ;  yet,  after  the  salute 
had  reached  her  several  times,  she  dared  to  loose  one 
hand  and  wave  a  returning  signal. 

"You — just — hold  on!    I '11  come  —  and  get  —  you!" 

As  "  holding  on  "  was  all  that  either  Amy  or  Pepita 
could  do  just  then,  they  obeyed,  perforce;  although, 
presently,  the  burro  had  scrambled  to  a  narrow  ledge, 
whence  she  could  see  the  whole  descent  and  from 
which,  if  left  to  herself,  she  would  doubtless  have  found 
a  way  into  the  valley. 

They  clung  and  waited  for  so  long  that  the  girl  grew 
confused ;  then  tried  to  rally  her  own  courage  by 
addressing  the  "  Californian." 


1 6  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  It's  so  —  so  absurd  —  I  mean,  awful !  If  that  man 
doesn't  come  soon,  I  shall  surely  fall.  My  fingers  ache 
so,  and  I'm  slipping.  I — am  —  slipping!  Ah!" 

Fortunately,  her  rescuer  was  near.  He  had  worked 
his  way  upward  on  all  fours,  his  bare  feet  clinging 
securely  where  shoe-soles  would  have  been  useless.  He 
approached  without  noise,  save  of  breaking  twigs,  until 
he  was  close  beside  them,  when  Pepita  concluded  it  was 
time  to  bid  him  welcome. 

"  Br-r-r-ray  !  A-humph  !  A-humph  —  umph  —  mph 
—  ph  — h!" 

The  climber  halted  suddenly. 

"  Sho-o !  " 

Also  startled,  Amy  lost  her  hold  and  shot  downward 
straight  into  the  arms  of  the  stranger,  who  seized  her, 
croaking  in  her  ear :  — 

"  Hilloa !  What  you  up  to  ?  Can't  you  wait  a 
minute  ? " 

Then,  with  a  strong  grasp  of  her  clothing,  he  wrig- 
gled himself  sidewise  along  the  bank  to  a  spot  where 
the  rock  gave  place  to  earth  and  shrubs. 

"  Now  catch  your  breath  and  let  her  go  !  " 

The  girl  might  have  screamed,  but  she  had  no  time. 
Instantly,  she  was  again  sliding  downward,  with  an 
ever-increasing  momentum,  toward  apparent  destruc- 
tion, yet  landing  finally  upon  a  safe  and  mossy  place ; 
past  which,  for  a  brief  space,  the  otherwhere  rough 
stream  flowed  placidly.  She  caught  the  hum  of  happy 


A    BYWAY    OF    THE    ARDSLEY.  17 

insects  and  the  moist  sweet  odor  of  growing  ferns,  then 
heard  another  rush  and  tumble.  But  she  was  as  yet 
too  dazed  to  look  up  or  realize  fresh  peril,  before  Pepita 
and  the  other  stood  beside  her. 

"  Sho  !     That  beats  —  huckleberries  !  " 

Amy  struggled  to  her  feet.  She  had  never  heard  a 
voice  like  that,  which  began  a  sentence  with  mighty  vol- 
ume and  ended  it  in  a  whisper.  She  stared  at  the 
owner  curiously,  and  with  a  fresh  fear.  "  He  looks  as 
queer  as  his  voice,"  she  thought. 

She  was  right.  His  physique  was  as  grotesque  as 
his  attire;  which  consisted  of  a  white  oilskin  blouse, 
gayly  bordered  with  the  national  colors,  trousers  of 
the  most  aggressive  blue,  and  a  helmet-shaped  hat, 
adorned  by  a  miniature  battle-axe,  while  a  tiny  broom 
was  strapped  upon  his  shoulders. 

"  Huh  !     pretty,  ain't  I  ?     The  boys  gave  'em  to  me." 

"Did  — they?" 

"Yes.  You  needn't  be  scared.  I  shan't  hurt  you 
I'm  a  Rep-Dem-Prob." 

"Ah,  indeed?" 

"Yes.  I  march  with  the  whole  kerboodle.  I  tell 
you,  it's  fun." 

It  was  "  Presidential  year,"  and  Amy  began  to  under- 
stand, not  only  that  the  lad  before  her  was  a  "  natural," 
but,  presumably,  that  he  had  been  made  the  victim  of 
village  wit.  She  had  heard  of  the  "  marching  bands," 
and  inferred  that  the  strange  dress  of  her  rescuer 


1 8  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

was  made  up  by  fragments  from  rival  political  uni- 
forms. „ 

"  Yes.  I'm  out  every  night.  Hurrah  for  Clevey- 
Harris ! " 

"  You  must  get  very  tired." 

"  No.  It's  fun.  I  drag  the  gun  carriage.  That's  on 
account  o'  my  strength.  Look  a'  there  for  an  arm  ! " 
And  he  thrust  out  his  illy  proportioned  limb  with  a 
pitiable  pride. 

"I  see.  But  now  that  you've  helped  me  down  the 
bank,  will  you  as  kindly  show  me  the  way  home  ? " 

"  Never  slid  that  way  before,  did  you  ?  Only  thing, 
though.  I'll  show  you  all  right  if  you'll  let  me  ride 
your  donkey.  Funny,  ain't  she  ?  Make  her  talk." 

"  I  think  she's  very  pretty ;  and  you  may  ride  her, 
certainly,  if  she  will  let  you." 

A  puzzled  and  angry  expression  came  over  the 
youth's  face  as  he  looked  toward  the  burro,  who  had 
already  begun  to  make  hay  for  herself  out  of  the  lush 
grasses  bordering  the  Ardsley. 

"  Make  her  talk,  I  say." 

"  She'll  do  that  only  to  please  herself.  She's  rather 
self-willed,  and  besides  — " 

"  Who  do  you  march  with  ? " 

"  March  ?     March  !     I  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Why,  nobody.  Of  course  not.  Why  should  you 
think  it?" 


A    BYWAY    OF    THE    ARDSLEY.  IQ 

The  lad  scrutinized  her  dress  and  gazed  abstractedly 
upon  the  white  "  Californian."  Just  then,  a  "parade" 
was  the  dominant  idea  in  the  poor  fellow's  limited  in- 
telligence. Amy's  simple  white  flannel  frock,  with 
its  scarlet  sash,  and  the  scarlet  cap  upon  her  dark 
curls,  suggested  only  another  "uniform."  The  girls 
with  whose  appearance  he  was  familiar  were  not  so 
attired. 

Neither  did  they  ride  upon  white  donkeys.  Yet  a 
donkey  of  venerable  and  unhappy  appearance  did 
nightly  help  to  swell  the  ranks  of  the  country's  patriots, 
and  the  beast  which  he  knew  enjoyed  a  sort  of  honor : 
it  drew  an  illuminated  "float"  wherein  rode  a  greatly 
envied  fifer. 

"  What  makes  you  ask  that  ?"  again  demanded  Amy, 
now  laughing;  for  she  had  just  imagined  what  her 
mother's  face  would  express,  should  her  daughter  be- 
come a  part  of  a  "  parade." 

"  Oh  !  because." 

Pepita  now  took  share  in  the  conversation.  "  Br-r-r- 
r-a-y  !  Ah-huh-um-umph  !  Ah-umph  —  u-m-ph  —  ah- 
umph  —  umph  —  mph  —  ph  —  h-h-h  !  "  she  observed. 

Never  was  a  remark  more  felicitous.  The  lad  threw 
himself  down  on  the  grass,  laughing  boisterously.  Amy 
joined,  in  natural  reaction  from  her  former  fear,  and 
even  the  "  Californian  "  helped  on  the  fun  by  observing 
them  with  an  absurdly  injured  expression. 

"She  is  funny,  I  admit;    though  she  is  as  nothing 


2O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

compared  to  her  brother  Balaam.  If  you  like  that  kind 
of  music,  you  should  hear  their  duet  about  breakfast 
time.  Which  is  the  shortest  way  to  some  real  road  ?  " 

"  Come  on.     I'll  show  you." 

"  Thank  you ;  and,  you  are  so  tall,  would  you  mind 
getting  me  that  bunch  of  yellow  leaves  —  just  there? 
They  are  so  very,  very  lovely  I'd  like  to  take  them 
home  to  put  in  father's  studio." 

"  What's  that  ?  Where's  it  at  ?  Who  are  you,  any- 
how ? " 

"  Amy  Kaye." 

"I'm  ' Bony,'  —  Bonaparte  Lafayette  Jimpson.  Who's 
he  ? " 

"  My  father  is  Cuthbert  Kaye,  the  artist.  Maybe 
you  know  him.  He  is  always  discovering  original 
people." 

The  speech  was  out  before  she  realized  that  it  was 
not  especially  flattering.  Her  father  liked  novel 
models,  and  she  had  imagined  how  her  new  acquaint- 
ance would  look  as  a  "  study."  Then  she  reflected  that 
the  lad  was  not  as  pleasing  as  he  was  "original." 

"  No.  I  don't  know  him.  He  don't  live  in  the  vil- 
lage, I  'low  ? " 

"  Of  course  not.  We  live  at  Fairacres.  It  has  been 
our  home,  our  family's  home,  for  two  hundred  years." 

"Sho!  You  don't  look  it.  An'  you  needn't  get 
mad,  if  it  has.  I  ain't  made  you  mad,  have  I  ?  I'd 
like  to  ride  that  critter.  I'd  like  to,  first  rate." 


A    BYWAY    OF    THE    ARDSLEY.  21 

Amy  flushed,  ashamed  of  her  indignation  against 
such  an  unfortunate  object,  and  replied  :  — 

"I'd  like  to  have  you  ' first  rate,'  too,  if  Pepita  is  will- 
ing. You  get  on  her  back  and  show  me  which  way  to 
go,  and  I'll  try  to  make  her  behave  well.  I  have  some 
sugar  left.  That  turning  ?  All  right.  See,  Pepita, 
pretty  Pepita  !  Smell  what's  in  my  fingers,  amiable. 
Then  follow  me,  and  we'll  see  what  —  we  shall  see." 

"  Bony "  was  much  impressed  by  Amy's  stratagem 
of  walking  ahead  of  the  burro  with  the  lump  of  sugar 
held  temptingly  just  beyond  reach.  For  the  girl  knew 
that  the  "  Californian  "  would  pursue  the  enticing  titbit 
to  the  sweetest  end. 

Yet  this  end  seemed  long  in  coming.  For  more  than 
a  mile  their  path  lay  close  to  the  water's  edge,  through 
bogs  and  upon  rocks,  over  rough  and  smooth,  with  the 
bluff  rising  steeply  on  their  right  and  the  stream  pre- 
venting their  crossing  to  the  farm  lands  on  its  left. 
But  at  length  they  emerged  upon  a  wider  level  and  a 
view  that  was  worth  walking  far  to  see. 

Here  the  lad  dismounted.  He  was  so  much  too  large 
for  the  beast  he  bestrode  that  he  had  been  obliged  to 
hold  his  feet  up  awkwardly,  while  riding.  Besides, 
deep  in  his  clouded  heart  there  had  arisen  a  desire  to 
please  this  girl  who  so  pleased  him. 

"  Hmm.  If  you  like  leaves,  there's  some  that's 
pretty,"  he  said,  pointing  upward  toward  a  brilliant 
branch,  hanging  far  out  above  the  stream. 


22  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Yes,  those  are  exquisite,  but  quite  out  of  reach. 
We  can  get  on  faster  now ;  and  tell  me,  please,  what 
are  all  those  buildings  yonder  ?  How  picturesque  they 
look,  clustered  amid  the  trees  on  the  river's  bank." 

Her  answer  was  a  rustle  overhead.  She  fancied  that 
a  squirrel  could  not  have  climbed  more  swiftly ;  for, 
glancing  up,  she  discovered  the  witless  youth  already 
upon  the  projecting  branch,  moving  toward  its  slender 
tips,  which  swayed  beneath  his  weight,  threatening 
instant  breakage.  Below  him  roared  the  rapids,  hurry- 
ing to  dash  over  the  great  dam  not  many  yards  away. 

"  Oh  !  how  dare  you  ?     Come  back  —  at  once  !  " 

"  Scare  you,  do  I  ?  Sho  !  This  is  nothing.  You 
just  ought  to  see  what  I  can  do.  Catch  'em.  There 
you  are.  That's  prettier  than  any.  Hello !  Yonder's 
a  yellow-robin's  nest.  Wait.  I'll  get  it  for  you  !  " 

Amy  shut  her  eyes  that  she  might  not  see  ;  though 
she  could  not  but  hear  the  snapping  of  boughs,  the 
yell,  and  the  heavy  splash  which  followed. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    MILL    IN   THE    GLEN. 

"  T  1 1 !     !  ducked  myself  that  time,  sure  !  " 

I  1  Amy  ventured  to  open  her  eyes.  There,  drip- 
ping and  grinning,  evidently  enjoying  the  fright  he  had 
given  her,  stood  her  strange  new  acquaintance.  His 
hand  still  clutched  the  scarlet  branch  with  its  swinging 
nest  that  he  had  risked  his  safety  to  secure,  nor  would 
relinquish  for  so  trivial  a  matter  as  a  fall  into  the  water. 

"  You  —  you  might  have  been  drowned !  " 

"  But  I  wasn't." 

"I  should  have  felt  that  it  was  all  my  fault!"  she 
exclaimed,  now  that  her  fear  was  past,  growing  angry 
at  his  hardihood. 

He  stared  at  her  in  genuine  surprise ;  all  the  gayety 
of  his  expression  giving  place  to  disappointment. 

"  Don't  you  like  it?     They  always  build  far  out." 

"  Oh,  yes.  It's  beautiful,  and  I  thank  you,  of  course. 
But  I  want  to  get  home.  You  must  show  me  the  way." 

"  Make  the  donkey  carry  'em." 

"Very  well." 

So  they  piled  the  branches  upon  the  back  of  the 
23 


24  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

dumbly  protesting  "  Californian,"  Amy  retaining  the 
delicate  nest  and  gently  shaking  the  water  from  it. 

"  She  don't  like  'em,  does  she  ? " 

"  Not  at  all.  Idle  Pepita  likes  nothing  that  is  labor. 
But  I  love  her,  even  though  she's  lazy." 

"  What'll  you  take  for  her  ? " 

"  Why  —  nothing." 

"  Won't  swop  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Oh !  dozens  of  '  whys.'  The  idea  of  my  selling 
Pepita!  For  one  thing,  she  was  a  gift." 

"  Who  from  ?  " 

"  My  uncle  Frederic." 

"  When  ?     Where  ?     What  for  ? ' ' 

"  Oh  !  what  a  question  asker.     Come,  Pepit !    Tcht !" 

Shaking  her  body  viciously,  but  unable  to  rid  herself 
of  her  brilliant  burden,  the  burro  started  swiftly  along 
the  footpath  running  toward  the  distant  buildings,  and 
over  the  little  bridge  that  crossed  just  there.  Both  path 
and  bridge  were  worn  smooth  by  the  feet  of  the  opera- 
tives from  the  mills,  which  interested  Amy  more  and 
more,  the  nearer  she  approached  them.  Once  or  twice, 
on  some  rare  outing  among  the  hills  where  her  home 
lay,  she  had  caught  glimpses  of  their  roofs  and  chim- 
neys, and  she  remembered  to  have  asked  some  ques- 
tions about  them;  but  her  father  had  answered  her  so 
indifferently,  even  shortly,  that  she  had  learned  little. 


THE    MILL    IN    THE    GLEN.  25 

Seen  from  this  point  they  impressed  her  by  contrast 
to  all  she  had  ever  known.  There  was  a  whirl  and 
stir  of  life  about  them  that  excited  and  thrilled  her. 
Through  the  almost  numberless  windows,  wide  open  to 
the  air,  she  could  see  hundreds  of  busy  people  moving 
to  and  fro,  in  a  sort  of  a  rhythmic  measure  with  the 
pulsating  engines. 

As  yet  she  did  not  know  what  these  engines  were. 
She  heard  the  mighty  beat  and  rumble,  regular,  un- 
changing, like  a  gigantic  heart  of  which  this  many- 
storied  structure  was  the  enclosing  body ;  and  she 
slowly  advanced,  fascinated,  and  quite  heedless  of 
some  staring  eyes  which  regarded  her  curiously  from 
those  wide  windows. 

A  discontented  bray  and  the  touch  of  a  hand  upon 
her  shoulder  suddenly  recalled  her,  to  observe  that  she 
had  reached  the  bottom  of  a  steep  stairway,  and  was 
face  to  face  with  another  stranger. 

"  Beg  pardon,  but  can  I  be  of  service  to  you? " 
"  Oh  !  sir.    Thank  you.    I  —  I  don't  know  just  where 
I  am." 

"  In  the  yard  of  the  Crawford  carpet  mill." 
"  Is  that  the  wonderful  building  yonder  ?  " 
"  Yes.     Have  you  never  seen  it  before  ? " 
"  Not  at  near  hand.     I  am  here  by  accident.     I  was 
lost  on  the  river  bank,  a  long  distance   back,  and   a 
strange  lad  helped  me  so  far.     I  don't  see  him  now,  and 
I'm  rather  frightened  about  him,  for  he  fell  into  the 


26  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

water,  getting  me  this  nest.  He  doesn't  act  just  like 
other  people,  I  think." 

"  No.  Poor  '  Bony ' !  He  has  run  up  into  the  street 
above  us,  yet  even  he  knew  better  than  to  have  brought 
you  just  here,"  and  he  glanced  significantly  toward  a 
large  sign  of  "No  Admittance." 

"  Is  it  wrong  ?  I'm  very  sorry.  I'll  go  away  at  once, 
when  I'm  shown  how." 

Gazing  about,  her  perplexity  became  almost  distress  ; 
for  she  found  herself  shut  in  a  little  space  by  buildings 
of  varying  heights.  Behind  her  lay  the  difficult  route 
over  which  she  had  come,  and  on  the  east  uprose  a 
steep  bank  or  bluff.  Against  this  was  placed  a  nearly 
perpendicular  sort  of  ladder,  and  this  steep  stair  was 
the  only  visible  outlet  from  the  ravine. 

The  gentleman  smiled  at  her  dismay. 

"  Oh,  that  isn't  as  bad  as  it  looks.  I  fancy  you  could 
easily  climb  it,  as  do  our  own  mill  girls  ;  but  this  pretty 
beast  of  yours,  with  the  fanciful  burden,  how  about 
him  ? " 

"I  don't  know.  She  might.  She's  right  nimble- 
footed —  when  she  chooses  to  be." 

"So  'he'  is  a  young  lady,  too?  Well,  I  have  great 
faith  in  girls,  even  girl  donkeys,  as  well  as  in  those  who 
own  them.  There  will  certainly  be  a  way  out ;  if  not 
up  the  bank,  then  through  the  mill.  By  the  by,  if 
you've  never  visited  such  a  place,  and  have  come  to  it 
'  by  accident,'  wouldn't  you  like  to  go  through  it  now  ? 


THE   MILL    IN   THE   GLEN.  2/ 

I'm  the  superintendent,  William  Metcalf,  and  am  just 
about  to  make  my  rounds,  before  we  shut  down  for  the 
night.  I'd  be  pleased  to  show  you  about,  though  we 
must  first  find  a  safe  place  where  we  can  tie  your  don- 
key. She  looks  very  intelligent." 

"  Oh,  indeed,  sir,  she  is !  She's  the  dearest  burro. 
She  and  her  brother  Balaam  were  sent  to  my  brother 
and  me  from  California.  Her  name  is  Pepita,  and  I  am 
Amy  Kaye.  I  live  at  Fairacres." 

At  this  announcement  the  gentleman  looked  as  if  he 
were  about  to  whistle,  though  courtesy  prevented.  He 
bowed  gravely :  — 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  know  you.  If  you'll  excuse  me 
for  a  moment,  I'll  find  something  with  which  to  tie  the 
burro." 

He  soon  returned,  bringing  a  leather  strap. 

"  We'll  fasten  her  to  the  stair,  but  it  will  be  better  to 
put  these  branches  on  the  ground.  Having  them  on 
her  back  frets  her." 

"Thank  you.     You're  very  kind." 

Pepita  did  not  endorse  this  opinion.  In  the  matter 
of  tying  she  gave  them  all  the  trouble  she  could,  and 
allowed  them  to  depart  only  after  a  most  indignant 
bray.  Her  racket  brought  various  heads  to  the  win- 
dows, and  the  visitors  were  as  much  of  interest  to  the 
artisans  as  themselves  were  to  Amy. 

She  followed  her  guide  eagerly,  too  self-unconscious 
to  be  abashed  by  any  stare ;  and  though  he  had  shown 


28  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

many  strangers  "over  the  works,"  he  felt  that  explain- 
ing things  to  this  bright-eyed  girl  would  be  a  pleasanter 
task  than  ordinary. 

"  I  like  to  begin  all  things  at  the  foundation,"  he 
remarked,  with  a  smile,  "  so  we'll  go  to  the  fire-room 
first." 

This  was  down  another  short  flight  of  steps,  and  over 
a  bridge  spanning  the  race,  which  deep,  dark  water- 
course immediately  caught  Amy's  attention. 

"  How  smooth  and  swift  it  looks ;  and  so  black. 
Isn't  that  man  afraid  to  stand  there?"  indicating  a 
workman  stationed  upon  the  sluice  gate,  engaged  in 
the  endless  task  of  raking  fallen  leaves  away  from  the 
rack. 

"  Oh,  no  !  not  afraid  !  The  work  is  monotonous,  but 
it  must  be  done,  or  there'll  be  the  mischief  to  pay. 
Now,  here  are  the  fires." 

A  soot-grimed  man  approached  the  door  of  the 
furnace  room,  and  respectfully  touched  his  forehead  to 
his  superior,  then  glanced  toward  Amy. 

"  I'm  afeared  the  little  lady  will  soil  her  pretty  frock," 
he  remarked,  with  another  pull  at  his  forelock. 

"Thank  you  for  thinking  of  it.  I'll  try  to  be  care- 
ful," she  answered,  tiptoeing  across  the  earthen  floor, 
to  stoop  and  peer  into  the  roaring  furnaces.  "  I  should 
be  afraid  it  would  burn  the  whole  place  up.  How  hot 
it  is!  Is  it  all  right?" 

"  Yes ;  they're  doing  prime  to-day.     We  takes  care 


THE    MILL    IN    THE    GLEN.  2Q 

of  the  danger,  miss.  But  hot  ?  Well,  you  should  ought 
to  be  here  about  midsummer,  say.  Ah !  this  isn't  bad, 
is  it,  boss  ?  " 

"Very  comfortable,     You  like  your  job,  eh,  Ben  ?  " 

"  Sure  ;  it's  a  good  one.  Steady,  an'  wages  regular. 
Good  day,  miss,  you're  welcome,  I'm  sure,"  he  con- 
cluded, as  she  thanked  him  again  for  opening  the  fur- 
nace doors  and  explaining  how  it  was  he  managed  the 
great  fires. 

"  Now,  the  engine  room ;  to  see  the  object  of  all 
that  heat,"  said  Mr.  Metcalf. 

"If  only  Hallam  were  here!  "  exclaimed  Amy. 

"Is  he  your  brother  ?  " 

"Yes.  Oh!  it  all  seems  just  like  fairyland;  even 
better,  for  this  is  useful,  while  fairyland  is  merely 
pleasant." 

"  Then  you  deem  useful  things  of  more  account  than 
pleasant  ones  ?  Hmm ;  most  young  ladies  who  have 
visited  us  have  seemed  afraid  rather  than  pleased.  The 
whir  of  the  machinery  frightened  them." 

"It  frightens  me,  too,  and  yet — I  like  it.  The 
power  of  it  all  awes  me." 

"  Well,  your  enthusiasm  is  certainly  agreeable." 

Nor  was  he  the  only  one  who  found  it  so.  Even 
the  usually  silent  workmen  in  the  fireproof  storehouse, 
where  the  bales  of  wool  were  piled  to  the  ceiling  with 
little  aisles  of  passage  between,  were  moved  to  explana- 
tion by  the  alert,  inquiring  glances  of  this  dainty  visitor. 


3O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

So  she  quickly  learned  the  difference  between  Turkish 
and  Scottish  fleeces,  and  remarked  to  her  guide  on  the 
oddity  of  the  sorted  ones,  "  that  look  just  like  whole 
sheepskins,  legs  and  tail  and  all,  with  the  skins  left 
out."  In  the  scouring  room  she  saw  the  wool  washing 
and  passing  forward  through  the  long  tanks  of  alkaline 
baths  ;  and  in  the  "  willying  "  house  her  lungs  were  filled 
by  the  dust  that  the  great  machines  cleaned  from  the 
freshly  dried  fleeces.  Indeed,  she  would  have  lingered 
long  before  the  big  chute,  through  which  compressed 
air  forced  the  cleansed  fibres  to  the  height  of  four 
stories  and  the  apartment  where  began  its  real  manu- 
facture into  yarn. 

Mr.  Metcalf  took  her  next  to  this  top  floor;  and 
though  the  deafening  noise  of  the  machinery  made  her 
own  voice  sound  queerly  in  her  ears,  she  managed  to 
ask  so  many  questions,  that  before  she  again  reached 
the  ground  floor  and  passed  outward  to  the  impatient 
Pepita,  she  had  gained  a  clear  general  idea  how  some 
sorts  of  carpets  are  made. 

"And  now,  Miss  Amy,  that  our  little  tour  is  over, 
I'd  like  to  hear  what,  of  all  you've  seen,  has  most 
impressed  you,"  said  Mr.  Metcalf,  kindly. 

"  The  girls." 

"  The  —  girls  ?     In  the  spinning  room  ? " 

"Everywhere;  all  of  them.  They  are  so  clean,  so 
jolly,  and  —  think !  They  are  actually  earning  money." 

"Of  course;  else  they  wouldn't  be   here.     Does  it 


THE    MILL    IN   THE    GLEN.  31 

strike  you  oddly  that  a  girl  should  earn  her  own 
living  ? " 

"  I  think  it's  grand." 

"Hmm.  You  caught  but  a  fleeting  glimpse  of 
them.  There's  a  deal  of  reality  in  their  lives,  poor 
things." 

"  Why  !     Are  you  sorry  for  them  ? " 

"  No,  —  and  yes.  They  haven't  much  leisure,  and  I 
dare  say  that  you  are  an  object  of  envy  to  every  mill 
girl  who  has  seen  you  to-day." 

"  Oh !  I  hope  not.  I  liked  them  so.  It  seems  so 
fine  to  really  earn  some  of  the  money  which  everybody 
needs  so  much,  just  by  standing  before  one  of  those 
'  jennies '  and  doing  what  little  they  did.  They  laughed 
often,  as  if  they  were  glad.  Nobody  looked  sorrowful, 
so  I  don't  see  why  you  pity  them," 

"  It  may  be  misplaced,  for,  after  all,  they  are  happy 
in  their  way.  I  do  not  think  it  is  always  the  best  way; 
still —  Why,  here's  'Bony.'  Well,  young  man,  what 
mischief's  up  now?  Do  you  march  again  to-night?" 

"  No.     I'm  going  with  her." 

"  Best  wait  till  you're  invited,"  suggested  the  super- 
intendent. 

The  lad  said  nothing,  but  kept  on  tying  into  a  com- 
pact bundle  all  the  branches  heaped  upon  the  ground, 
and  to  which  he  had  made  a  considerable  addition  dur- 
ing Amy's  inspection  of  the  mill.  He  had  begged  a 
bit  of  rope  from  the  office  in  the  street  above;  and 


32  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

when  he  had  secured  the  boughs  to  his  satisfaction,  he 
slung  them  across  his  shoulder. 

"  Come  on.     I'll  pack  'em  for  you  to  where  you  live." 

He  seemed  none  the  worse  for  his  fall  into  the  water, 
and  Amy  laughed ;  not  only  at  the  readiness  with  which 
he  constituted  himself  her  assistant,  but  also  at  Pepita's 
frantic  efforts  to  ascend  the  steep  stairway. 

"  Thank  you.  But  if  we  can  get  her  up  there,  above, 
she  can  carry  the  stuff  herself.  I  can  walk,  when  I  am 
told  the  road." 

"  Up  she  goes  she  !  "  shouted  the  startling  Lafayette, 
and  gave  the  unprepared  burro  a  sharp  prod  with  a 
stick  he  held. 

Astonished,  Pepita  leaped  to  escape  the  attack  and 
landed  her  forefeet  upon  the  fourth  stair. 

"  Hi !  There  you  be !  You're  a  regular  Rep-Dem- 
Prob  !  Up  you  go  —  I  tell  you  !  " 

"  Oh !  you  dreadful  boy  !  "  exclaimed  Amy,  and 
tried  to  take  the  stick  from  the  fellow's  hand. 

"Don't.  He  isn't  hurting  her,  and  she  is  going  up!" 
laughed  the  superintendent,  as  the  burro  made  another 
skyward  spring.  But  his  merriment  suddenly  ceased. 

The  "  Californian "  could  use  her  nimble  feet  for 
more  than  one  purpose.  She  resented  the  indignity 
of  her  present  position  in  the  only  manner  possible  to 
her,  and  when  a  third  prod  touched  her  dainty  flesh, 
she  flung  one  heel  backward,  with  an  airy  readiness 
that  might  have  been  funny  save  for  its  result. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FAIRACRES. 

HOW  dreadful!  Is  he  killed?"  cried  Amy,  pale 
with  fear. 

For  the  indignant  Pepita  had  planted  her  active  hoof 
squarely  in  the  mouth  of  the  lad  who  was  tormenting 
her,  and  had  knocked  him  backward  from  the  stair. 
During  a  brief  time  he  lay,  dazed  by  the  blow,  with  a 
trickle  of  blood  rapidly  staining  his  features. 

"Wait.  Don't  get  frightened.  There  may  not  be 
much  damage  done.  That  boy  has  as  many  lives  as  a 
cat.  I'll  see  to  him,"  returned  Mr.  Metcalf,  quietly. 

With  a  strong,  kindly  touch,  the  gentleman  helped 
the  unfortunate  "Bony"  to  his  feet;  whereupon,  the 
lad  flew  into  a  fearful  rage  and  started  up  the  ladder, 
in  pursuit  of  the  burro. 

His  movement  roused  Amy  also  to  action,  and  she 
followed  him  so  swiftly  that  she  reached  the  top,  and  the 
broad  road  there,  almost  as  soon  as  he.  Before  then, 
however,  he  had  caught  up  a  barrel  stave,  which  hap- 
pened to  be  lying  in  a  too  convenient  spot,  and  was 
belaboring  Pepita  with  all  his  might. 

The  latter,  after  her  ascent  of  the  steps,  had 
"  33 


34  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

remained  standing  at  their  head,  gazing  dreamily 
downward  in  her  own  demure  manner  and  evidently  con- 
sidering that  she  had  quite  properly  adjusted  matters. 

Amy  succeeded  in  reaching  them  just  as  the  third 
blow  was  descending  upon  Pepita's  flank  and  by  a  deft 
movement  arrested  the  stroke.  The  stave  flew  out  of 
the  lad's  grasp,  and  his  astonishment  at  her  strength 
cooled  his  anger. 

"  Don't  you  strike  her  again !  You  shall  not.  Aren't 
you  ashamed  of  yourself  to  beat  a  helpless  creature  like 
that?  If  you  are  still  able  to  act  so  —  so  brutally  — 
you  can't  be  much  hurt.  I  was  terribly  frightened  and 
sorry,  but  now  I  don't  care.  She  served  you  just  right." 

Then  the  red  Tarn  dropped  on  the  burro's  neck  and 
a  torrent  of  affectionate  words  was  poured  into  the 
creature's  indifferent  ears. 

"  Sho  !  Huckleberries  !  She's  drove  my  teeth  clean 
down  my  throat !  "  slowly  ejaculated  the  youth. 

This  was  about  half  true.  One  tooth  had  been 
broken  out  by  the  blow  upon  the  lad's  jaw  and  another 
had  been  loosened.  The  copious  bleeding  of  these 
wounds  gave  him  a  startling  appearance,  and  when 
Amy  looked  up  a  shudder  of  repellent  pity  ran  through 
her.  Then  she  seemed  to  see  her  mother's  gentle  face 
and,  conquering  the  aversion  she  felt,  she  pulled  out 
her  handkerchief  and  began  to  wipe  the  discolored,  ill- 
shapen  lips  of  the  half-wit. 

He   submitted   to   the  operation  in  amazed  silence. 


FAIRACRES.  35 

Even  Mr.  Metcalf  had  nothing  to  say,  though  he 
watched  with  keen  interest  the  outcome  of  this  little 
transaction. 

"  There.  If  I  had  some  water,  I  could  do  it  nicely. 
I'm  sorry  you  were  hurt.  But  don't  you  ever  strike  my 
Pepita  again  !  Next  time  she  might  kill  you.  It  was 
her  only  way  of  defending  herself,  for  she  hasn't  sense 
like  you  —  " 

Regarding  the  imbecile  face  before  her,  Amy's  sen- 
tence ended  in  confusion.  Nor  did  it  add  to  her  com- 
fort that  the  unhappy  fellow  now  began  to  weep  in  a 
whimpering  sort  of  way,  that  might  have  suited  a 
spoiled  child  of  a  few  years. 

"  Why,  what  is  it  ?  Do  you  suffer  so  terribly !  Oh  ! 
I  am  so  sorry  !  " 

"  There,  my  dear  Miss  Amy,  let  it  pass.  This  is 
only  one  of  '  Bony's '  charming  habits,"  said  Mr.  Met- 
calf, smiling  derisively.  "  He  has  rather  outgrown  his 
age.  Haven't  you,  lad  ?  Well,  it's  all  right.  I'm 
sorry  for  you.  You're  sorry  for  yourself ;  and  our 
young  lady  here  is  sorry  for  us  both.  Come.  Brace 
up.  Be  a  man.  What  would  the  '  boys '  think  of  you, 
in  this  uniform,  crying  ?  Eh  !  " 

"  Huh  —  huh  —  huh  —  huh-h-h  !  "  responded  the  nat- 
ural. 

"  I'm  going  home,  Bonaparte.  Good  night.  Thank 
you  for  the  leaves.  Mr.  Metcalf,  will  you  tell  me  the 
nearest  way,  please  ?  " 


36  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Amy  picked  up  the  fallen  bundle  of  boughs,  which 
the  superintendent  had  brought  with  him  from  the 
yard  below,  and  laid  them  upon  Pepita's  back. 

"  These  have  given  us  some  trouble,  but  they  are  still 
too  beautiful  to  lose." 

The  gentleman  directed  her,  courteously  escorted  her 
through  the  gateway,  which  bore  another  of  those  pro- 
hibitory "  No  Admittance  "  signs,  and  watched  her  walk 
briskly  away,  thinking  what  a  bright  feature  of  the 
landscape  she  made. 

"  Not  a  beautiful  girl,  by  any  means,  yet  one  of  the 
most  wholesome,  honest,  and  engaging  ones  who  ever 
stepped  foot  within  this  old  mill.  Odd,  too  !  A  Kaye. 
I  wonder  if  she  will  ever  come  again  to  what,  if  all  had 
gone  as  was  expected,  might  easily  have  been  her  own 
great  property.  Well,  that  was  pretty  to  see :  the  way 
in  which  she  wiped  the  face  of  poor  '  Bony.'  The  lad 
grows  sillier  every  day,  it  seems,  and  the  '  boys  '  are 
making  him  worse  by  their  nonsense.  Where  is  he 
now  ?  I'll  have  a  talk  with  him  and  try  to  keep  him 
out  of  the  parades.  They  are  not  good  for  him," 
reflected  Mr.  Metcalf. 

But  the  talk  had  to  be  postponed ;  for  there  was 
"  Bony  "  already  far  along  the  road  toward  Fairacres, 
following  doggedly  in  Amy's  footsteps,  though  she 
repeatedly  assured  him  that  she  could  manage  quite 
well  without  him  and  preferred  to  be  alone. 

"No,  I'm  going,"  he  asserted;  and  when  she  could 


FAIRACRES.  37 

not  dissuade  him,  she  gave  up  trying  to  do  so  and  led 
him  to  talk  of  himself  —  his  most  interesting  subject. 
So  that,  by  the  time  they  had  come  to  the  front  of  the 
old  mansion,  she  knew  his  simple  history  completely, 
and  her  pity  had  almost  outgrown  her  aversion. 

"  See,  Cleena !  Cleena  Keegan  !  See  what  I  have 
brought !  " 

The  shout  summoned  a  large  woman  to  the  door, 
who  threw  up  her  arms  with  the  answering  cry  :  — 

"  Faith,  an'  I  thought  you  was  lost !  Whatever  has 
kept  you  such  gait,  Miss  Amy  ? " 

"  Oh !  adventures.  Truly,  Cleena.  Real,  regular 
adventures.  See  my  leaves?  See  this  lad!  He  got 
them  for  me.  He  is  Bonaparte  Jimpson." 

"  An'  a  curious  spalpeen  that  same,"  casting  a  sus- 
picious glance  over  the  youth's  strange  attire. 

"  I'm  Bonaparte  Lafayette  Jimpson,"  he  explained 
gravely  and,  to  Amy's  surprise,  timidly. 

"  The  mischief,  you  be  !  An'  what's  Napoleon  Bony- 
party's  gineral's  pleasure  at  Fairacres,  the  night  ?  " 

"  Cleena,  wait.  I'll  tell  you.  Yes,  you  will  have 
time  enough.  The  train  isn't  due  till  after  six,  and 
they'll  be  a  half-hour  longer  getting  home  from  the 
station.  Sit  you  down,  Goodsoul,  just  for  one  little 
bit  of  minute.  The  scrubbing  must  surely  be  done  by 
now.  Isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Humph !  The  scrubbin's  never  done  in  this  dirty 
world.  Well,  an'  what  is  it  ?  Be  quick  with  you !  " 


38  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

Amy  coaxed  the  old  servant  down  upon  the  doorstep 
of  the  freshly  cleaned  kitchen,  whither  they  had  now 
gone,  and  speedily  narrated  her  afternoon's  experiences. 

"So  you  see,  dear  old  Scrubbub,  that  he  must  have  a 
fine  feast  of  the  best  there  is  in  the  house.  Besides," 
and  she  pulled  the  other's  ear  down  to  her  lips,  "  I'd 
just  like  to  have  father  see  him.  He  isn't  pretty,  of 
course,  but  he's  new.  I  wonder,  could  he  pose  ? " 

"  Pose,  is  it  ? "  groaned  Cleena,  with  a  comical  gri- 
mace. "  Pose  !  Sure,  it's  I  minds  the  time  when  the  mas- 
ter caught  me  diggin'  petaties  an'  kept  me  standin', 
with  me  foot  on  me  spade,  an'  me  spade  in  the  ground, 
an'  me  body  this  shape,"  bending  forward,  "  till  I  got 
such  a  crick  in  me  back  I  couldn't  walk  upright,  for 
better  'n  a  week.  Posin',  indeed  !  Well,  he  might.  He 
looks  fit  for  naught  else." 

"  Pooh,  Cleena !  you  know  it's  an  honor.  But,  come 
now,  I  want  to  put  all  these  leaves  up  in  the  dining 
room.  Will  you  help  me  ?" 

"  Will  I  what  —  such  truck !  No,  me  colleen,  not  a 
help  helps  Cleena  the  day." 

"Oh,  yes,  you  will.  I'll  bring  the  step  ladder  and 
hand  them  to  you,  while  you  put  them  over  the  doors 
and  windows.  We'll  make  the  place  a  perfect  bower  of 
cheerfulness,  and  if  our  dears,  when  they  come  —  Oh, 
Cleena!  they  may  need  the  cheerfulness  very  much." 

However,  it  was  not  Amy's  habit  to  borrow  trouble,  and 
she  ran  lightly  away,  calling  to  the  boy  on  the  porch  :  — 


FAIRACRES.  39 

"  I'm  going  to  put  Pepita  in  the  stable.  If  you'd 
like  to  see  her  brother,  you  can  come  with  me." 

"  Sho  !  Ain't  he  black  !  "  exclaimed  "  Bony,"  as  they 
led  Pepita  into  the  great  stables  and  he  discovered 
Balaam. 

Amid  ample  accommodations  for  a  dozen  horses,  the 
two  burros  seemed  almost  lost ;  but  they  occupied 
adjoining  box-stalls  which,  if  rather  time-worn  and 
broken,  were  still  most  roomy  and  comfortable. 

"  Why,  huckleberries  !  It's  bigger  'n  the  mill  sheds. 
And  only  them  two.  Will  he  swop  ?  " 

As  he  asked  this  question  the  lad  pulled  from  his 
pocket  a  miscellaneous  collection  of  objects,  and  in- 
vitingly displayed  them  upon  the  palm  of  his  long  hand. 

"  No,  I  think  not.  I  fancy  we  are  not  a  '  swopping ' 
family.  But  I  must  choose  some  name  for  you  besides 
that  dreadful  '  Bony.'  Bonaparte  is  too  long.  So  is 
Lafayette.  Let  me  see.  Suppose  we  make  it  just 
'  Fayette '  ?  That  is  short  and  pleasant  to  speak,  and 
I  like  my  friends  to  have  nice  names.  Would  you  like 
it?" 

"  Bully ! " 

"Why  —  why,  Fayette!     That  doesn't  sound  well." 

"  Sho  !  Don't  it  ?  One  all  black  an'  t'other  all  white. 
Hum." 

"  Br-r-r-ray  !  Ah-umph  —  h-umph  —  umph  —  mph  — 
ph  —  h-h-h  !  "  observed  Balaam  to  his  sister. 

Fayette   laughed,    so   noisily   and  uproariously   that 


4O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

the  burros  brayed  again ;  and  they  kept  up  this  amus- 
ing concert  until  Amy  had  brought  each  an  armful  of 
hay,  and  had  directed  her  companion  where  to  find  a 
pail  and  water  for  their  drink. 

Then  they  returned  to  the  house  and  beheld  Cleena 
in  the  dining  room,  already  mounted  upon  the  step-lad- 
der, trying  to  arrange  the  branches  with  more  regard  to 
the  saving  of  time  than  to  grace.  But  she  made  to  the 
picture-seeing  girl  a  very  attractive  "bit." 

Indeed,  Cleena  Feegan  was  a  person  of  sufficient 
importance  to  warrant  a  paragraph  quite  to  herself. 
She  was  a  woman  of  middle  age,  with  a  wealth  of  curl- 
ing, iron-gray  hair,,  which  she  tucked  away  under  a 
plain  white  cap.  Her  figure  was  large  and  grandly 
developed.  She  wore  a  blue  print  gown,  carefully 
pinned  back  about  her  hips,  thus  disclosing  her  scarlet 
flannel  petticoat ;  both  garments  faded  by  time  and  fre- 
quent washings  to  a  most  "artistic"  hue.  Upon  her 
shoulders  was  folded  a  kerchief  of  coarse  white  muslin, 
spotlessly  clean  ;  and  as  she  stood,  poised  among  the 
glowing  branches,  with  the  dying  sunset  light  touching 
her  honest  face  to  unusual  brightness,  she  was  well 
worth  Amy's  eager  wish  :  — 

"  Oh,  Cleena !  That  father  were  only  here  to  see  and 
paint  you  just  as  you  are  this  minute  !  " 

"  Humph  !     It's  meself's  glad  he  isn't." 

"  Why  !  That's  not  nice  of  you,  Goodsoul.  Yet  it's 
a  great  pity  that  a  body  who  is  such  a  '  study '  in  her- 


FAIRACRES.  4! 

self  can't  fix  those  branches  a  bit  more  gracefully. 
You're  jamming  the  leaves  all  into  a  little  mess  and 
showing  the  stems !  Oh,  Cleena,  I  wonder  if  I  can't 
reach  them." 

"  Truth,  it's  meself 's  willin'  you  should  try.  Belike 
I'd  be  handier  at  the  pullin'  them  down  nor  the  puttin' 
them  up." 

With  head  erect  she  descended  from  the  ladder,  and 
stood,  arms  akimbo,  regarding  the  results  of  her  labor. 
Even  to  her  it  suggested  something  not  "  artistic,"  and 
at  Fairacres  anything  inartistic  was  duly  frowned  upon. 

"  Faith,  it's  not  the  way  the  master  would  do  it,  I  see 
that,  but — " 

Before  either  she  could  finish  her  sentence  or  Amy 
mount  the  ladder,  Fayette  had  run  to  its  top  and  stood 
there  rapidly  pulling  from  the  wall  the  branches  Cleena 
had  arranged.  Thrusting  all  but  one  between  his 
knees,  he  fastened  that  over  the  window-frame  so 
deftly  and  charmingly  that  Amy  clapped  her  hands  in 
delight. 

"  Oh,  that's  lovely  !      Try  another  —  and  another !  " 

He  obeyed.  His  vacant  face  flushed  with  a  glow  of 
enthusiasm  equalling,  if  not  exceeding  her  own,  and 
even  Cleena  spent  some  moments  of  her  rarely  wasted 
time  in  watching  him. 

Her  own  face  had  again  become  a  "  study,"  yet  of  a 
sort  to  provoke  a  smile,  as  her  gaze  roved  from  his 
handiwork,  over  the  length  of  his  ungainly  person,  to 


42  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

rest  upon  his  bare  and  not  too  cleanly  feet;  then  trav- 
elled slowly  upward  again,  trying  to  settle  once  for  all 
his  rightful  position  in  the  social  scale.  Her  thought 
might  have  been  thus  expressed:  — 

"His  foot's  heathen.  His  head's  the  same.  His 
clothes  —  they're  the  heathenest  of  all.  I'd  disdain  'em. 
But,  arrah  musha !  The  hand  of  him !  The  master  him- 
self couldn't  better  them  fixin's." 

Then  she  hastened  to  her  kitchen,  and  soon  the  appe- 
tizing odor  of  a  well-cooked  meal  was  in  their  nostrils, 
and  the  two  young  decorators  realized  that  they  were 
very  hungry. 

"  There,  that  will  do.  It  is  perfect.  Thank  you 
ever  and  ever  so  much,  Fayette." 

"Shucks!" 

"  Now  I'll  light  the  candles.  I  always  do  when  the 
people  are  coming  home  from  town.  They  go  there 
quite  often ;  at  least  father  does,  though  mother  hasn't 
been  before  in  months.  The  candles  are  terrible  extrav- 
agance, Cleena  says,  but  they're  so  pretty." 

Fayette  carried  away  the  step-ladder,  then  returned 
to  watch  Amy  as  she  set  the  old-fashioned  candelabra 
upon  the  already  daintily  spread  table.  She  had  bor- 
dered the  white  cloth  with  some  of  the  most  dazzling- 
hued  leaves,  and  when  the  wax  tapers  threw  their  soft 
radiance  over  the  whole  charming  interior,  poor  Fayette 
felt  his  weak  head  grow  dizzy  and  confused  by  the 
beauty  of  it  all. 


FAIRACRES.  43 

He  dimly  realized  that  he  was  in  a  new  world,  which 
soothed  and  appealed  to  his  clouded  nature  as  did  the 
birds  and  the  flowers.  That  impulse,  which  he  could 
neither  express  nor  understand,  which  sent  him  so  con- 
stantly into  the  woods  and  solitudes,  was  gratified  now. 
This  was  as  delightful  as  his  favorite  pastime  of  lying 
upon  the  grass  and  gazing  upward  into  the  sunlit  sky. 

"  Sho  !  It's  pretty.  I  like  it.  I'm  glad  I  come.  I'll 
stay." 

Amy  had  almost  forgotten  him. 

"Yes,  of  course  you'll  stay  till  after  supper.     I'll  — 

But  a  shadow  fell  across  the  threshold  of  the  still 
open  door,  and  looking  up  she  saw  a  stranger,  —  an  old 
man  of  rather  forbidding  aspect,  whose  glance  passed 
swiftly  from  herself  to  the  youth  near  the  big  fireplace. 

There  followed  an  instant  of  mutual  and  frowning 
recognition  between  these  two;  then  Fayette  disap- 
peared through  an  inner  doorway,  while  the  newcomer 
remained  at  the  entrance,  his  hat  in  his  hand,  and 
an  assumed  suavity  in  his  manner. 

Yet  there  was  still  a  note  of  anger  in  the  tone  with 
which  he  observed:  — 

"  I  have  called  upon  business  with  Cuthbert  Kaye. 
Your  father,  I  presume.  Is  he  at  home  ? " 

"  Not  yet.  He  went  to  the  city,  yesterday,  with  my 
mother  and  brother.  I  expect  them  back  on  the  next 
train.  Will  you  come  in  ?  " 

"  Yes,  thank  you.     I'll  wait." 


44  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

He  accepted  the  great  chair  Amy  rolled  toward  him, 
and  let  his  gaze  slowly  sweep  the  cheerful  apartment. 
Yet  he  knew  it  by  heart,  already,  and  his  face  bright- 
ened as  he  saw  how  little  it  had  been  changed  since 
these  many  years.  Apparently  not  one  of  its  quaint 
and  rich  old  furnishings  was  missing,  and  the  passage 
of  time  had  but  added  to  the  remembered  charm  of  the 
place.  Even  the  chair  into  which  he  sank  had  a  famil- 
iar feel,  as  if  his  back  had  long  ago  fitted  to  those 
simple,  comfortable  lines.  The  antique  candelabra  — 
how  often  had  he  watched  his  grandmother's  fingers 
polishing  them  to  brilliancy. 

But  the  girl  was  new.  The  only  modern  thing,  save 
the  freshly  gathered  leaves,  —  which  also  seemed  but  a 
memory  of  his  childhood,  —  to  remind  him  of  the  pres- 
ent and  the  errand  upon  which  he  had  come. 

"  She's  Kaye,  though,  to  the  bone.  Dark,  crisp  hair. 
Those  short  curls  are  like  a  boy's.  Her  eyes  are  the 
Kaye  eyes ;  and  that  toss  of  her  head,  like  her  great- 
grandmother  come  to  life  again.  All  our  women  had 
it.  Ah,  well.  If  things  —  hmm." 

The  visitor  became  absorbed  in  his  thoughts,  and  his 
wandering  gaze  came  home  to  rest,  seemingly,  upon 
the  tips  of  his  own  boots,  for  he  did  not  notice  when 
Amy  disappeared  and  Cleena  entered. 

"  Alanna  !  But  this  is  a  smart  decent  piece  of  work, 
now,  isn't  it? " 

At  this  sudden  and  derisive  remark  the  gentleman 
looked  up. 


FAIRACRES.  45 

"  Oh,  ho  !     You,  is  it  ?  " 

"  Faith  an'  it  is.  An'  likin'  to  know  what  brings 
you  this  gait." 

"  Keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head,  woman.  I'm 
not  to  be  put  off  this  time  by  any  false  stories.  Here 
I  am,  and  here  I  shall  stay  until  I  see  your  master." 

Steadily  and  silently  confronting  one  another  for 
some  seconds,  they  measured  each  other's  wills.  The 
unwelcome  guest  was  not  sure  but  that  the  woman 
would  lift  him  bodily  and  fling  him  out  of  doors.  She 
looked  ably  strong  and  quite  minded  so  to  do ;  but, 
after  a  further  reflection,  she  appeared  to  change  her 
mind  as  well  as  her  tone. 

"  Hmm  —  yes.  There's  no  irreverence  meant. 
Come  in  by,  to  the  library  yon.  There's  pictures  to 
see,  an'  books  a  plenty.  Leave  the  master  be,  like  a 
gentleman  now,  as  you  was  born,  till  he  eats  his  meal 
in  peace.  A  body  can  bear  trouble  better  on  a  full 
stummick  nor  an  empty.  Come  by." 

To  his  own  amazement,  the  caller  rose  and  followed 
her.  He  told  himself  he  was  a  simpleton  to  have  left 
the  cheery  supper  room  and  the  certain  presence  of  the 
man  he  wished  to  see  for  an  hour  of  solitary  waiting 
in  an  unknown  place. 

"  Library."  There  had  been  none  in  his  grand- 
mother's time.  But  he  knew  it  well  —  from  the  out- 
side. A  detached,  strong  little  building,  of  hewn 
stone  like  the  mansion ;  one  of  Cuthbert  Kaye's  many 


46  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  follies."  Planned  with  a  studio  on  the  second  floor 
above  the  spacious  book  room  on  the  first.  Well,  it 
made  the  property  so  much  the  more  valuable.  Yes, 
after  all,  he  would  better  visit  it  while  the  coast  was 
clear. 

"  Sure,  sir,  an'  it's  here  the  master  do  be  spending 
all  his  time.  Here  an'  above.  You  was  never  in  the 
paintin'  study,-  now  was  you  ?  "  she  asked  suggestively. 

"No." 

"  Alanna  !     An'  you  two  of  the  same  blood  !  " 

"  Hmm  —  yes,  of  course  I'll  go,  since  I'm  here." 

So  he  followed  her  up  the  graceful  staircase,  with  its 
softly  covered  steps,  and  into  a  room  which  rumor  said 
was  worth  travelling  far  to  see  ;  and  though  thus  pre- 
pared, its  half-revealed  beauty  astonished  him. 

"Well,  it  is  a  fine  apartment.  It  must  have  cost  a 
power  of  money.  And  —  it  explains  many  things." 

"  Money,  says  you  ?  It  did  that,"  echoed  Cleena, 
with  a  pious  sigh. 

"  Yes,  yes.  I  suppose  so.  It's  rather  dark,  however, 
for  me  to  see  as  I  would  like.  Isn't  there  a  lamp  here  ?  " 

"  Lamp,  is  it  ?  Askin'  pardon  for  forgettin'  me 
manners,  but  it's  never  a  lamp  will  the  master  have 
left  in  this  place.  If  one  comes,  indeed,  'tis  himself 
brings  it.  Forby,  on  occasion  like  this,  I'll  fetch  it 
an'  take  all  the  blame  for  that  same.  It's  below.  I'll 
step  down ; "  and  she  departed  hastily,  leaving  him 
alone. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

HALLAM. 

AS  the  stage  from  the  railway  station  rolled  up  to 
Fairacres,  Amy  was  waiting  upon  the  wide  porch. 
She  had  put  on  her  daintiest  frock,  white,  of  course, 
since  her  father  liked  her  to  wear  no  other  sort  of 
dress ;  and  she  had  twisted  sprays  of  scarlet  woodbine 
through  her  dark  hair  and  about  her  shoulders.  Before 
the  vehicle  stopped,  she  called  out  eagerly  :  — 

"  Oh  !  how  glad  I  am  you're  here  !  It's  been  such  a 
long  two  days  !  Are  you  all  well  ?  Is  everything  right, 
mother  dearest  ?  Did  you  have  a  nice  time  ?  " 

The  father  reached  her  first,  remarking,  with  a  fond 
smile  :  — 

"  You  make  a  sweet  picture,  daughter,  with  that  open 
doorway  behind  you,  with  the  firelight  and  candlelight, 
and —  Ah!  did  you  speak,  Salome?"  turning  toward 
his  wife. 

"  The  man  is  waiting,  Cuthbert.  Has  thee  the  money 
for  him  ? " 

Mr.  Kaye  fumbled  in  one  pocket,  tried  another, 
frowned,  and  appeared  distressed. 

"  Never  mind,  dear.     Hallam  can  attend  to  it." 
47 


48  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

But  the  crippled  lad  had  already  swung  himself  over 
the  steps  upon  his  crutches,  and  the  artist  remarked, 
with  a  fresh  annoyance  :  — 

"  He  must  put  it  in  the  bill,  Salome.  Why  always 
bother  with  such  trifles  ?  If  one  could  only  get  away 
from  the  thought  and  sound  of  money.  Its  sordidness 
is  the  torment  of  one's  life." 

Mrs.  Kaye  sighed,  as  she  paid  the  hackman  from  her 
own  purse,  then  followed  her  husband  into  the  house. 

His  face  had  already  lost  all  its  expression  of  annoy- 
ance, and  now  beamed  with  satisfaction  as  he  regarded 
Amy's  efforts  to  celebrate  the  home-coming. 

"  Good  child.  Good  little  girl.  Truly,  very  beauti- 
ful. Why,  my  darling,  you'll  be  an  artist  yourself  some 
day,  I  believe." 

"  The  saints  forbid ! "  murmured  a  voice  from  the 
further  side  the  room,  where  Cleena  had  appeared, 
bearing  a  tray  of  dishes. 

Nobody  heard  the  ejaculation,  however,  save  Hallam, 
and  he  didn't  count,  being  of  one  and  the  same  opinion 
as  the  old  serving-woman.  All  the  lad's  ambitions  lay 
toward  a  ceaseless  activity,  and  the  coloring  of  can- 
vases attracted  him  less  than  even  the  meanest  kind  of 
manual  labor. 

Nor  did  Amy  share  in  her  father's  hope,  though 
she  loved  art  for  his  sake,  and  she  answered,  with 
conviction :  — 

"  Never  such  an  one  as  you  are,  father  dear." 


HALLAM.  49 

But  all  this  while  the  daughter's  eyes  had  been  study- 
ing her  mother's  face,  with  the  keen  penetration  of 
sympathy,  and  the  whispered  advice :  — 

"  Be  especially  gentle  with  Hallam  to-night,  my 
child,"  but  confirmed  the  answer  she  had  already  found 
in  that  careworn  countenance. 

Yet  Hallam  showed  no  need  of  consolation  as  he 
sturdily  stumped  across  the  room  and  exclaimed,  cheer- 
fully enough  :  — 

"  Fetch  on  the  provender,  Goodsoul.  We're  all  as 
hungry  as  bears.  What's  for  us  ?  " 

"  What  should  be  ?  save  the  best  rasher  of  bacon  ever 
blessed  eyesight,  with  tea-biscuits  galore.  For  second 
course  —  My  !  but  that  pullet  was  a  tender  bird,  so  she 
was.  An'  them  east-lot  petaties  would  fain  melt  in 
your  mouth,  they're  so  hot-foot  to  be  ate." 

"The  pullet?  Not  the  little  brown  one  you  have 
cared  for  yourself,  Cleena  ?  " 

"  What  for  no  ?  Eat  your  victuals  askin'  no  ques- 
tions, for  that's  aye  bad  for  the  appetite." 

Both  Amy  and  Cleena  knew,  without  words,  that  this 
last  city  trip  had  been  a  failure,  like  so  many  that  had 
preceded  it.  Once  more  had  the  too  sanguine  father 
dragged  his  crippled  son  to  undergo  a  fresh  examina- 
tion of  his  well-formed  though  useless  limbs ;  and  once 
more  had  an  adverse  verdict  been  rendered. 

This  time  the  authority  was  of  the  highest.  A  Euro- 
pean specialist,  whose  name  was  known  and  reverenced 


5O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

upon  two  continents,  had  come  to  New  York  and  had 
been  consulted.  Interested  more  than  common  by  the 
boy's  fair  face  and  the  sweet  womanliness  of  the  mother, 
the  surgeon  had  given  extra  attention  to  Hallam,  and  his 
decision  had  been  as  reluctantly  reached  as  it  was  final. 

"  Only  a  miracle  will  ever  enable  him  to  walk.  Yet 
a  miracle  may  occur,  for  we  live  in  an  age  of  them,  and 
nothing  seems  impossible  to  science.  However,  in  all 
mortal  probability,  he  is  as  one  dead  below  his  knees. 
My  lad,  take  your  medicine  bravely  and  be  a  man  in 
spite  of  it  all.  Use  your  brain,  thanking  God  for  it, 
and  let  the  rest  go." 

"  That's  an  easy  thing  for  you  to  say,  but  it  is  I  who 
have  to  bear  it !  "  burst  forth  the  unhappy  boy,  and  was 
at  once  ashamed  of  his  rude  speech,  even  if  it  in  no 
wise  offended  the  sympathetic  physician. 

The  return  journey  had  been  a  sad  and  silent  one, 
though  Hallam  had  roused  at  its  end  with  the  sort  of 
bravado  that  Amy  had  seen,  and  which  deceived  her  no 
more  than  it  did  any  of  the  others;  but  she  loyally 
seconded  his  assumed  cheerfulness,  and  after  they  had 
gathered  about  the  table,  gave  them  a  lively  descrip- 
tion of  her  afternoon's  outing,  ending  with  :  — 

"  For,  mother  dear,  you  hadn't  said  just  where  I 
might  or  might  not  ride,  and  I'd  never  seen  the  carpet 
mills,  though  I  now  hope  to  go  there  often ;  and, 
indeed,  I  think  I  would  like  to  work  in  that  busy  place, 
among  all  those  bright,  active  girls." 


HALLAM.  51 

Then  her  enthusiasm  was  promptly  dashed  by  her 
father's  exclamation  :  — 

"  Amy  !  Amy  Kaye  !  Never  again  say  such  a  thing  ! 
Let  there  be  no  more  of  that  mill  talk,  not  a  word." 

Mr.  Kaye's  tone  was  more  stern  than  his  child  had 
ever  heard,  and  as  if  he  recognized  this  he  continued, 
more  gently :  — 

"But  I  am  interested  in  that  silly  Bonaparte.  I 
almost  wish  you  had  kept  him  till  I  came." 

Amy  happened  to  glance  at  Cleena,  who  had  warned 
her  not  to  mention  the  fact  of  the  strange  gentleman 
calling;  nor  had  she  known  just  when  Fayette  went 
away,  though  she  supposed  he  had  done  so  after  so 
suddenly  leaving  the  dining  room. 

"Why,  Goodsoul,  you  are  as  beaming  as  if  you  had 
found  a  treasure." 

"  Faith,  an'  I  have.  Try  a  bit  of  the  chicken,  mis- 
tress, now  do ;  "  and  she  waved  the  dish  toward  the  lady, 
with  a  smile  that  was  more  than  cheerful. 

"  Well,  Cleena,  it's  heartening  to  see  anybody  so 
bright.  The  work  must  have  gone  finely  to-day,  and 
thee  have  had  plenty  of  time  for  scrubbing.  No,  thank 
thee ;  nothing  more.  Not  even  those  delicious  baked 
apples.  The  best  apples  in  the  world  grow  on  that  old 
tree  by  the  dairy  door,  I  believe,"  replied  the  mistress, 
with  another  half-suppressed  sigh. 

As  she  rose  to  leave  the  table,  she  turned  toward  her 
husband :  — 


52  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  I  hope  thee'll  soon  be  coming  upstairs,  Cuthbert." 

It  was  noticeable  that  Cleena  paused,  tray  in  hand, 
to  hear  the  answer,  which  was  out  of  common,  for  the 
old  servant  rarely  presumed  upon  the  fact  that  she  was 
also  the  confidential  friend  of  her  employers. 

"  Well,  after  a  little,  dear ;  but,  first,  I  must  go  over 
to  the  studio." 

"  Arrah,  musha,  but,  master !  The  painting's  all 
right.  What  for  no  ?  Indeed,  then,  it's  the  mistress 
herself  needs  more  attention  this  minute  nor  any  picture 
ever  was  drawed." 

"  Why,  Cleena ! "  exclaimed  the  lady,  in  surprise. 
Such  an  interference  had  never  been  offered  by  the 
devoted  creature  to  the  head  of  the  house. 

"Asking  pardon,  I'm  sure;  though  I  know  I  know. 
I've  lighted  a  fire  in  the  sittin'  room  above,  an'  it's  sure 
for  the  comfort  of  both  that  yous  make  yourselves  easy 
the  night." 

"That's  true,  husband.  Do  leave  the  picture  till 
morning.  We're  all  tired  and  needing  the  rest." 

Always  easily  persuaded  where  physical  comfort  was 
at  stake,  the  artist  acquiesced,  and  with  his  arm  about 
his  wife's  slender  waist  he  gently  led  her  from  the  room. 

Cleena  heard  him  murmuring  tender  apologies  that 
he  had  not  before  observed  how  utterly  fatigued  she 
looked;  and  a  whimsical  smile  broke  on  the  Irish- 
woman's face  as  she  cleared  the  table  and  assured  the 
cups  and  saucers,  with  a  vigorous  disdain,  that :  — 


HALLAM.  53 

"  Them  two's  no  more  nor  a  couple  of  childer  still. 
But,  alanna !  Never  a  doubt  I  doubt  there'll  be  trouble 
with  old  Cleena  when  the  cat  leaps  the  bag.  Well,  he's 
in  it  now,  tied  fast  and  tight." 

Whereupon,  there  being  nobody  to  see,  the  good 
woman  executed  a  sort  of  jig,  and  having  thus  relieved 
her  feelings  departed  to  the  kitchen,  muttering  :  — 

"  It  wasn't  for  naught  Miss  Amy  fetched  a  simpleton 
home  in  her  pocket.  Sure,  I  scared  the  life  clean  out 
of  him,  so  I  did,  an'  he'll  stay  where  he's  settled  till  he's 
wanted,  so  long  as  I  keep  fillin'  his  stummick  with 
victuals  like  these.  Will  I  carry  a  bit  o'  the  fowl  to  the 
Hb'ry  —  will  I  no  ?  Hmm.  Will  I  —  nill  I  ?  " 

Having  decided,  Cleena  passed  swiftly  from  the 
house  into  the  darkness  and  in  the  direction  of  the 
distant  library. 

Meanwhile,  up  in  the  little  chamber  which  had  once 
been  their  nursery  and  was  still  their  own  sitting  room, 
Amy  had  drawn  a  lounge  before  the  grate,  and,  after 
his  accustomed  fashion,  Hallam  lay  upon  it,  while  his 
sister  curled  upon  the  rug  beside  him. 

But  she  did  not  look  at  him.  She  rested  her  chin 
in  her  palms  and  gazed  at  the  dancing  flames,  as  she 
observed :  — 

"  Even  a  king  might  envy  us  this  fire  of  pine  cones, 
mightn't  he  ?  Isn't  it  sweet  and  woodsy  ?  and  so  bright. 
I've  gathered  bushels  and  bushels  of  them,  while  you 
were  away,  and  we  can  have  all  the  fun  we  want  up 


54  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

here.  So  now  —  can't  you  just  begin  and  tell,  Hal 
dear  ?  Part  of  it  I  guess,  but  start  as  you  always  do : 
'  I  went  from  here  — '  and  keep  right  on  till  you  get 
back  again  to  me  and  —  this." 

She  purposely  made  her  tone  light,  but  she  was  not 
surprised  when  her  answer  was  a  smothered  sob.  In- 
deed, there  was  such  a  lump  in  her  own  throat  that  she 
had  to  swallow  twice  before  she  could  say  :  — 

"  No,  darling,  you  needn't  tell  one  word.  I  know  it 
all  —  all  —  all ;  and  I  can't  bear  it.  I  won't  —  I  will 
not  have  it  so  !  " 

Then  she  turned  and  buried  her  face  in  the  pillow 
beside  her  brother's,  crying  so  passionately  that  he 
had  to  become  comforter  himself ;  and  his  thin  fingers 
stroked  her  hair  until  she  grew  ashamed  of  her  weak- 
ness and  looked  up  again,  trying  to  smile. 

"  Forgive  me,  brotherkin.  I'm  such  a  baby,  and  I 
meant  to  be  so  brave  !  If  I  could  only  take  your  lame- 
ness on  myself,  and  give  you  my  own  strong,  active 
legs !  " 

"  Don't,  Amy  !  Besides,  how  often  have  you  said 
that  very  same  thing  ?  Yet  it  isn't  any  use.  Nothing 
is  of  any  use.  Life  isn't,  I  fancy." 

Even  the  vehement  Amy  was  shocked  by  this,  and  her 
tears  stopped,  instantly. 

"Why,  Hal!" 

"  Sounds  wicked,  doesn't  it  ?  Well,  I  feel  wicked. 
I  feel  like,  was  it  Job  or  one  of  his  friends?  that  it 


HALLAM.  55 

would  be  good  to  '  curse  God  and  die.'  Dying  would 
be  so  much  easier  than  living." 

The  girl  sprang  up,  clinching  her  brown  hands,  and 
staring  at  her  brother  defiantly. 

"  Hallam  Kaye,  don't  you  talk  like  that !  Don't  you 
dare !  Suppose  God  heard  you  ?  Suppose  He  took 
you  at  your  word  and  made  you  die  just  now,  this 
instant  ?  What  then  ?  " 

Hallam  smiled,  wanly,  "  I  won't  scare  you  by  saying 
what  then,  girlie.  If  He  did,  I  suppose  it  would  all  be 
right.  Everything  is  right  —  to  the  folks  who  don't 
have  to  suffer  the  thing.  Even  the  doctor  —  and  I  liked 
him  as  much  as  I  envied  him  —  even  he  preached  to  me 
and  bade  me  not  to  mind,  to  '  forget.'  Hmm,  I  wish 
he  could  feel,  just  for  one  little  minute,  the  helplessness 
that  I  must  feel  always,  eternally." 

Hallam  was  dearer  to  his  sister  than  any  other  human 
being,  and  the  despair  in  her  idol's  tone  promptly 
banished  her  anger  against  his  irreverence.  She  went 
down  on  her  knees  and  caught  away  the  arm  with 
which  he  had  hidden  his  face,  kissing  him  again  and 
again. 

"  Oh !  there  will  be  some  way  out  of  this  misery, 
laddie.  There  must  be.  It  wouldn't  be  right,  that 
anybody  as  clever  and  splendid  as  you  should  be  left 
a  cripple  for  life.  I  won't  believe  it.  I  won't !  " 

"  How  like  father  you  are !  " 

Amy's  head  tossed  slightly,  and  a  faint  protest  came 


$6  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

into  her  eyes,  but  was  banished  as  soon  because  of  its 
disloyalty. 

"  Am  I  ?     In  what  way  ?  and  why  shouldn't  I  be  ?  " 

"  You  never  know  when  you're  down  nor  why  you 
shouldn't  have  all  that  you  want." 

"  Isn't  it  a  good  thing  ?  Would  it  help  to  go  moping 
and  unbelieving  ? " 

"I  suppose  not.  Anyway,  it  makes  things  easier 
for  you  and  him,  and  so,  maybe,  for  the  rest  of  us." 

The  sister  dropped  back  into  her  favorite  attitude 
upon  the  rug  and  regarded  her  brother  curiously. 

"  Hal,  you're  as  queer  as  can  be,  to-night.  Seems 
as  if  there  was  something  the  matter  with  you,  beyond 
what  that  know-nothing  doctor  said.  Isn't  there  ? " 

"  Don't  call  the  poor  man  hard  names,  girlie.  He 
was  fine,  and  I  was  impertinent  enough  for  the  whole 
family.  Only,  I  reckon  he  was  too  high  up  to  feel  any- 
thing we  could  say.  But  there  is  something.  Some- 
thing I  must  tell  you,  and  I  don't  know  how  to  begin. 
Promise  that  you  won't  get  into  a  tantrum,  or  run  and 
disturb  the  little  mother  about  it." 

"  Hallam  Kaye  !     Do  I  ever  ?  " 

"  Hmm !  Sometimes.  Don't  you  ?  Never  mind. 
Sit  closer,  dear,  and  let  me  get  hold  of  your  hand. 
Then  you'll  understand  why  I  am  so  bitter ;  why  this 
disappointment  about  my  lameness  is  so  much  worse 
than  any  that  has  gone  before.  And  I've  been  dis- 
appointed often  enough,  conscience  knows." 


HALL AM.  57 

Amy  crept  up  and  snuggled  her  dark  head  against 
Hallam's  fair  one,  remarking,  with  emphasis :  — 

"  Now  I'm  all  ready.  I'll  be  as  still  as  a  mouse,  and 
not  interrupt  you  once.  What  other  dreadful  trouble  has 
come  ?  Is  it  a  grocery  bill,  or  Clafflin's  for  artists'  stuff  ?  " 

"  Something  far  worse  than  that." 

"What?" 

"Did  you  ever  think  we  might  have  —  might  have  — 
oh,  Amy!  I  can't  tell  you  'gently,'  as  mother  bade  — 
all  it  is  —  well,  we've  got  to  go  away  from  Fairacres. 
If s  not  ours  any  longer" 

"Wh-a-at?"  cried  the  girl,  springing  up,  or  striving 
to  do  so,  though  Hallam's  hold  upon  her  fingers  drew 
her  down  again. 

"  I  don't  wonder  you're  amazed.  I  was,  too,  at  first. 
Now  I  simply  wonder  how  we  have  kept  the  place  so 
long." 

"  Why  isn't  it  ours  ?     Whose  is  it  ?  " 

"  It  belongs  to  a  cousin  of  mother's,  Archibald  Win- 
gate.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  him  ?  " 

"  Never.     How  can  it  ?  " 

"I  hardly  understand  myself,  though  mother's  law- 
yer tried  to  explain.  It's  something  about  indorsing 
notes  and  mortgages  and  things.  Big  boy  as  I  am,  I 
know  no  more  about  business  than  —  you  do." 

"  Thanks,  truly.  But  I  do  know.  I  attended  to  the 
marketing  yesterday  when  the  wagon  came.  Cleena 
said  that  I  did  very  well." 


$8  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Glad  of  it.  You'll  have  a  chance  to  exercise  your 
talents  in  that  line." 

"  But,  Hal,  mother  will  never  let  anybody  take  away 
our  home.  How  could  she  ?  What  would  father  do 
without  his  studio  that  he  had  built  expressly  after  his 
own  plan  ?  or  we  without  all  this  ? "  sweeping  her  arm 
about  to  indicate  the  cosiness  of  their  own  room. 

"  Mother  can't  help  herself,  dear.  She  was  rich 
once,  but  she's  desperately  poor  now." 

"  I  knew  there  was  trouble  about  money,  of  course. 
There  never  seems  to  be  quite  enough,  but  that's  been 
so  since  I  can  remember.  Why  shouldn't  we  go  on 
just  as  we  have  ?  What  does  this  cousin  of  our  mother's 
want  of  the  place,  anyway  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  know  him.  I  hate  him 
unseen." 

"  So  do  I.  Still,  if  he's  a  cousin,  he  should  be  fond 
of  mother,  and  not  bother." 

"Amy,  we're  all  a  set  of  simpletons,  I  guess,  as  a 
family,  and  in  relation  to  practical  matters." 

" '  Speak  for  yourself,  John.' " 

"  That  isn't  all.  There's  something  —  something 
wrong  with  father." 

"Hallam  Kaye !  Now  I  do  believe  you're  out  of 
your  head.  I  was  afraid  you  were,  you've  talked  and 
acted  so  queerly.  I'm  going  for  Cleena.  Is  your  face 
hot  ?  Do  you  ache  more  than  usual  ? " 

"  Don't   be   silly.     I'm  as  right  as  I  ever  shall  be. 


HALLAM.  59 

Listen.  I  found  it  all  out  in  the  city.  Father  had 
gone  to  some  exhibition,  and  mother  and  I  were  wait- 
ing for  the  time  to  go  to  the  doctor.  A  gentleman 
called,  and  I  never  saw  anybody  look  so  frightened 
and  ill  as  mother  did  when  she  received  him,  though 
I  knew  it  wasn't  about  me.  She  hadn't  hoped  for 
anything  better  in  that  line.  She  called  the  man 
'  Friend  Howard  Corson,'  and  he  was  very  courteous 
to  her;  but  all  of  a  sudden  she  cried  out:  — 

" '  Don't  tell  me  that  the  end  has  come !  I  can't 
bear  both  sorrows  in  one  day ! '  And  then  she  looked 
across  at  me.  I  smiled  as  bravely  as  I  could,  and, 
Amy,  I  believe  our  mother  is  the  very  most  beautiful 
woman  in  this  world." 

"  Why,  of  course ;  and  father's  the  handsomest  man." 

"  Certainly,"  agreed  the  lad,  with  rather  more  haste 
than  conviction. 

"Well,  what  next?" 

Before  the  answer  could  be  given,  there  burst  upon 
their  ears  an  uproarious  clamor  of  angry  voices,  such 
as  neither  had  ever  heard  at  Fairacres ;  and  Amy 
sprang  up  in  wild  alarm,  while  Hallam  groped  blindly 
for  the  crutches  he  had  tossed  aside. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A   KINSMAN    OF   THE    HOUSE. 

"  IT'S   from   the    library !  "   reported   Amy,  who  had 

1  first  reached  and  opened  the  window.  "  I  can't 
make  out  anything  except  —  yes,  it  is!  That's  Fay- 
ette's  voice.  Hear  that  croak  ? " 

"  The  foolish  boy  ?     Here  yet  ?  " 

"  So  it  seems.     I'll  go  and  find  out." 

"  Wait.  That's  Cleena  talking  now,  and  another 
voice,  a  man's.  What  can  it  all  mean  ? " 

Amy  ran  down  the  stairs  and  out  of  the  house  so 
swiftly  that  she  did  not  observe  her  father  following 
with  almost  equal  haste.  Behind  him  sped  Mrs.  Kaye, 
far  more  anxious  concerning  her  husband  than  the 
noise  outside. 

"  Slowly,  Cuthbert.  Please  do  take  care.  Thee 
must  not  hurry  so,  and  I  hear  Cleena.  She'll  look  out 
for  everything.  For  my  sake,  don't  run." 

Hallam  upon  his  crutches  came  last  of  all,  and  for 
a  moment  the  entire  family  stood  in  silent  wonder  at 
the  scene  before  them. 

Two  men  were  wrestling  like  angry  schoolboys ;  and 
the  light  from  a  lantern  in  Cleena' s  hand  fell  over  them 
60 


A    KINSMAN    OF    THE    HOUSE.  6 1 

and  showed  the  distorted  face  of  "  Bony  "  in  one  of  his 
wildest  rages.  His  contestant  was  gray  haired  and 
stout,  and  was  evidently  getting  the  worst  of  the 
struggle.  The  library  door  was  open,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  the  half-wit  were  trying  to  force  the  other  back- 
ward into  the  building. 

One  glance  revealed  something  of  the  situation  to 
Mrs.  Kaye,  and,  as  the  wrestlers  paused  for  breath, 
she  moved  forward  and  laid  her  hand  upon  the  old 
man's  arm. 

"  Archibald,  what  does  this  mean  ?  " 

The  low  voice  acted  like  magic.  Fayette  slunk 
away,  ashamed,  and  the  other  paused  to  recover  him- 
self. But  his  anger  soon  returned  and  was  now 
directed  against  the  astonished  woman  herself. 

"  Mean !  mean  ?  That's  for  you  to  say.  Since 
when  has  a  Kaye  stooped  to  the  pettiness  of  locking 
up  an  unwelcome  visitor  like  a  rat  in  a  trap  ?  A  pretty 
greeting  and  meeting,  Cuthbert,  after  all  these  years !  " 
he  cried,  turning  next  toward  the  artist,  with  indignant 
contempt. 

But  the  object  of  his  wrath  scarcely  heard  what  he 
said.  His  own  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  ruined  panel 
of  his  beautiful  library  door,  and  he  caught  up  the 
lantern  and  peered  anxiously  to  learn  the  extent  of  the 
disaster. 

The  wife  again  answered,  as  if  speaking  for  both :  — 

"  Archibald,  no.      Whatever  indignity  thee  has  suf- 


62  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

fered,  none  of  thy  kin  know  anything  about  it  or  could 
be  parties  to  it.  Thy  own  heart  must  tell  thee  that ; 
and  now  explain  what  it  all  means." 

At  the  old  familiar  speech,  the  man's  expression 
altered,  and  when  he  replied  it  was  in  a  far  gentler 
tone. 

"  I  came  to  see  Cuthbert ;  for  the  thousandth  time, 
isn't  it  ?  Failing  him  again,  though  I  didn't  mean  to 
fail,  I  had  to  talk  with  —  thee,"  his  voice  tripping 
slightly  over  the  pronoun,  "and  that  virago  brought 
me  here  to  wait.  Then  she  locked  me  up  and  set  this 
idiot  to  watch.  There  are  no  windows  to  get  out  of 
from  above,  nothing  but  that  skylight,  so  I  finally 
forced  the  door  at  the  foot  ,of  the  stairs,  and  then  again 
this.  Here  was  that  ruffian,  armed  with  a  cudgel,  and 
—  the  rest  thee  knows." 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  cousin.  I  can  but  apologize  for 
what  I  would  never  have  permitted  had  I  known,"  and 
the  mistress's  gaze  rested  upon  Cleena  most  reproach- 
fully. 

Yet  that  bold-spirited  creature  was  in  no  wise  dis- 
turbed, and  replied,  with  great  enjoyment:  — 

"Sure,  mistress,  I  did  but  do  what  I'd  do  again, 
come  same  chance.  What  for  no  ?  If  it  wasn't  for 
him,  yon,  there'd  be  peace  an'  plenty  at  Fairacres  the 
now.  Faith,  I  harmed  him  none." 

"Cleena!" 

"Askin'  pardon  if  I  overstepped  me  aut'ority,  mis- 


A   KINSMAN   Of   THE    HOUSE.  63 

tress.  Come,  Gineral  Bonyparty,  I'm  surmisin'  you  an' 
me  better  be  fixin'  things  up  whiles  the  family  goes 
home  to  their  beds." 

Just  then  Mr.  Kaye's  silent  examination  of  the  injury 
done  his  beloved  studio  came  to  an  end.  He  set  down 
the  lighted  lantern  with  the  ultra  caution  of  one  who 
dreads  fire  above  all  accidents,  and  turned  toward  his 
wife.  However,  he  took  but  few  steps  forward  before 
he  paused,  staggered,  and  would  have  fallen  had  not 
the  ill-treated  visitor  sprung  to  his  aid,  —  to  be  himself 
pushed  aside,  while  Cleena  caught  up  her  master  and 
strode  off  toward  the  house,  as  if  she  were  but  carry- 
ing an  overgrown  child  in  her  strong  arms.  Indeed, 
the  artist's  weight  was  painfully  light,  nor  was  this 
the  first  time  that  Cleena's  strength  had  thus  served 
his  need;  though  this  fact  not  even  Hallam  nor  Amy 
knew. 

The  wife  hurried  after  her  fainting  husband,  and 
Amy  started  also ;  then  reflected  that  it  was  she  who 
had  brought  Fayette  to  the  house,  and  was,  in  a 
measure,  responsible  for  what  had  since  happened 
there. 

But  the  lad  gave  her  time  for  neither  reproof  nor 
question,  as  he  eagerly  exclaimed :  — 

"  'Twa'n't  none  o'  my  doin's.  She  made  me.  She 
told  me  to  set  here  an'  keep  Mr.  Wingate  in,  an'  if  he 
broke  out  I  wasn't  to  let  him.  I  don't  know  what  for. 
I  didn't  ask  questions.  'Twa'n't  none  o'  my  business, 


64  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

anyway.  So  I  was  just  trying  to  jab  him  back.  She 
fed  me  first  rate.  Say,  is  that  your  brother  ? " 

"  Yes.     Oh,  Hal !  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  You  run  to  the  house  and  see  if  mother  wants  any- 
body to  go  for  the  doctor,  while  I  try  to  help  this  boy 
stop  up  the  doorway.  It's  going  to  rain,  and  it  would 
break  father's  heart  if  anything  here  were  harmed." 

A  curious  smile  crossed  the  stranger's  face,  but  he 
advanced  to  lend  his  aid  to  the  lad,  Fayette,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  the  parts  of  the  door  so  far  into  place 
that  they  would  prevent  any  damage  by  rain,  except  in 
case  of  severe  storm.  The  broken  lock  was,  of  course, 
useless,  and  as  the  mill  lad  saw  the  cripple  fingering  it, 
he  remarked :  — 

"You  needn't  be  scared.  I'll  stay  an'  watch.  I 
won't  march  to-night.  Oh,  I  can  do  it  all  right.  I 
often  stay  with  the  watchmen  round  the  mill,  an'  I've 
got  a  good  muscle,  if  anybody  wants  to  tackle  it," 
with  which  he  glared  invitingly  toward  the  late 
prisoner. 

A  protesting  groan  was  the  only  reply ;  and  the  lad 
received  this  with  a  snort  of  disdain. 

"  Druther  let  old  scores  rest,  had  ye  ?  All  right. 
Suits  me  well  enough  now,  but  I  ain't  forgot  the  lickin's 
you've  given  me,  an'  I  ain't  goin'  to  forget,  neither." 

Fayette's  look  was  again  so  vindictive  that  Hallam 
interposed,  fearing  another  battle  between  these  unin- 
vited guests. 


A   KINSMAN    Of   THE   HOUSE.  6$ 

"  Well,  I  wish  you  would  watch  here  for  a  while.  As 
soon  as  Cleena  can  be  spared,  she  shall  bring  you  a 
blanket.  And  anyway,  if  you'll  keep  everything  safe, 
I'll  try  to  find  something  to  pay  you  for  your  trouble." 

"  Hmm,  I'd  take  your  donkey  an'  give  back  con- 
siderable to  boot." 

"  My  donkey  ?     Balaam  ?     Well,  I  guess  not." 

"  I  could  do  it.  I  could,  first  rate.  I've  got  money. 
It's  in  the  savings  bank.  '  Supe '  put  it  in  for  me." 

"  I  couldn't  think  of  it,  not  for  a  second.  Mr.  Win- 
gate —  is  it?  " 

"  Archibald  Wingate,  and  your  kinsman,  young  sir." 

"  So  I  heard  my  mother  say.  She  would  wish  you  to 
come  to  the  house  with  me,  and  we'll  try  to  make  you 
comfortable.  I  must  go  —  I  am  wild  to  know  what  is 
wrong  with  my  father." 

"  We  will,  at  once,"  answered  the  other,  coldly. 
"Your  father  was  always  weak — was  never  very 
rugged,  and  he  hasn't  lived  in  a  way  to  make  himself 
more  robust.  A  man's  place  is  in  the  open  ;  not  penned 
like  a  woman  behind  closed  doors  and  windows." 

"  Beg  pardon,  but  you  are  speaking  of  my  father." 

"Exactly,  and  of  my  cousin.  Oh,  I've  known  him 
since  we  sat  together  under  our  grandmother's  table, 
munching  gingerbread  cakes.  Ah,  she  was  a  famous 
cook,  else  the  flavor  of  a  bit  of  dough  wouldn't  last  that 
long." 

"I've   heard   of   my  great-grandmother's   talent  for 


66  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

cookery.  Father  and  mother  often  speak  of  it,  and 
some  of  her  old  recipes  are  in  use  in  our  kitchen 
to-day." 

Mr.  Wingate  had  kept  an  even  pace  with  Hallam's 
eager  swings  upon  his  crutches,  and  they  were  speedily 
at  the  old  house  door,  with  a  kindly  feeling  toward  one 
another  springing  into  life  within  the  heart  of  each ; 
though  but  a  little  while  before  Hallam  had  exclaimed 
to  Amy,  in  all  sincerity,  "  I  hate  him  unseen." 

With  the  ready  trustfulness  of  youth,  Hallam  began 
to  think  his  mother's  and  the  lawyer's  words  had  not 
meant  literally  what  they  expressed. 

On  Mr.  Wingate's  side,  the  sight  of  Hallam's  physi- 
cal infirmity  had  roused  regret  at  the  action  he  must 
take.  Up  till  this  meeting  he  had  lived  with  but  one 
object  in  view — the  possession  of  Fairacres ;  nor  did 
he  now  waver  in  his  determination.  There  had  simply 
entered  into  the  matter  a  sentiment  of  compassion 
which  was  a  surprise  to  himself,  and  which  he  banished 
as  completely  as  he  could. 

Amy  met  them  at  the  door  with  the  gratifying 
report :  — 

"  Father  is  about  all  right  again.  It  was  a  sudden 
faint.  Cleena  says  that  he  has  had  them  before,  but 
that  mother  had  not  wished  us  told.  There  is  no  need 
of  a  doctor,  and  Cleena  is  to  get  the  west  chamber 
ready  for  Mr.  Wingate  to  sleep  in.  I'm  to  freshen  the 
fire  and  —  here  is  mother  herself." 


A    KINSMAN    OF    THE    HOUSE.  67 

The  house  mistress  came  toward  them,  vial  and 
glass  in  hand,  on  her  way  back  to  the  sick-room.  The 
hall  was  dimly  lighted,  and  as  she  turned  at  the  stair's 
foot  and  passed  upward,  with  that  soft  gliding  motion 
peculiar  to  herself,  she  seemed  to  the  entering  guest 
like  a  sad-faced  ghost  of  a  girl  he  had  known.  Half- 
way up  she  paused  upon  the  landing  and  smiled  down 
upon  them  ;  and  the  serenity  of  that  smile  made  the 
hard  facts  of  the  case  —  illness,  poverty,  and  home- 
breaking  —  seem  even  more  unreal  than  anything  else 
could  have  done. 

Amy  looked  into  Mr.  Wingate's  eyes,  which  were 
fixed  upon  their  mother.  "  Isn't  she  like  the  Madonna  ? 
Father  has  so  often  painted  her  as  such." 

"  Yes  —  hmm.  He  ought  to.  A  Madonna  of 
Way  and  Means.  Say,  little  girl,  you  are  bright 
enough,  but  you  act  a  good  deal  younger  than  your 
years.  How  happens  it  you've  never  learned  to  look 
after  your  father  yourself,  and  so  spare  your  mother  ? 
Can  you  do  anything  useful  ? " 

"That  depends.  I  can  arrange  father's  palette, 
and  crack  his  eggs  just  right,  and  buy  things  —  when 
there's  money,"  she  finished  naively. 

"It  all  seems  'father.'  What  about  your  mother? 
What  can  you  do,  or  have  you  done,  to  help  her,  eh  ?  " 

Amy  flushed.  She  thought  this  sort  of  cross-ques- 
tioning very  rude  and  uncalled  for.  As  soon  as  she 
had  heard  this  man's  name  she  had  realized  that  it 


68  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

must  be  he  of  whom  Hallam  had  spoken,  and  whom 
she,  also,  had  decided  she  "  hated  unseen. "  But,  in 
truth,  hatred  was  a  feeling  of  which  the  carefully 
sheltered  girl  knew  absolutely  nothing,  though  it  came 
very  near  entering  her  heart  at  that  instant  when  the 
shrewd,  penetrating  gaze  of  her  kinsman  forced  her 
to  answer  his  question. 

"  Why  —  nothing,  I'm  afraid.     Only  to  love  her." 

"Hmm.  Well,  you'll  have  to  add  a  bit  of  practical 
aid  to  the  loving,  I  guess,  if  you  want  to  keep  her  with 
you.  She  looks  as  if  the  wind  might  blow  her  away 
if  she  got  caught  out  in  it.  Now,  good  night.  You 
and  your  brother  can  go.  I'll  sit  here  till  that  saucy 
Irishwoman  gets  my  room  ready.  Take  care  !  If  you 
don't  mind  where  you're  going,  you'll  drop  sperm  on 
the  rug,  tipping  that  candlestick  so  !  " 

Hallam  had  been  standing,  leaning  against  the 
newel  post,  with  his  own  too  ready  temper  flaming 
within  him.  But  there  was  one  tenet  in  the  Kaye 
household  which  had  been  held  to  rigidly  by  all  its 
members :  the  guest  within  the  house  was  sacred  from 
any  discourteous  word  or  deed.  Else  the  boy  felt  he 
should  have  given  his  new-found  relative  what  Cleena 
called  "a  good  pie-shaped  piece  of  his  mind." 

He  had  to  wait  a  moment  before  he  could  say  "  good 
night"  in  a  decent  tone  of  voice,  then  swung  up  the 
staircase  in  the  direction  of  his  mother's  room. 

Amy  was  too  much  astonished  to  say  even  thus  much. 


TAKE  CARE  I     YOU'LL  DROP  SPERM  ON  THE  RUG,  TIPPING  THAT 
CANDLESTICK  SOI"' 


A    KINSMAN    OF    THE    HOUSE.  69 

She  righted  the  candlestick,  amazed  at  the  interest  in 
rugs  which  Mr.  Wingate  displayed,  and  followed  her 
brother  very  slowly,  like  one  entering  a  dark  passage 
wherein  she  might  go  astray. 

She  stopped  where  Hallam  had,  before  their  mother's 
door,  which  was  so  rarely  closed  against  them.  Even 
now,  as  she  heard  her  children  whispering  behind  the 
panel,  Mrs.  Kaye  came  out  and  gave  them  each  their 
accustomed  caress ;  then  bade  them  get  straight  to  bed, 
for  she  would  be  having  a  long  talk  with  them  in  the 
morning,  and  she  wanted  them  to  be  "as  bright  as 
daisies,"  to  understand  it. 

"  Mother,  that  man  !  He  —  he's  so  dreadful !  He 
scolded  me  about  the  candlestick,  and  —  and  you  —  and 
he  made  me  feel  like  a  great  baby." 

"  I  wish  he  might  have  waited ;  but,  no  matter. 
Good  night." 

It  was  a  very  confused  and  troubled  Amy  who  crept 
into  bed  a  little  while  afterward,  and  she  meant  to  lie 
awake  and  think  everything  out  straight,  but  she  was 
too  sound  and  healthy  to  give  up  slumber  for  any  such 
purpose,  and  in  a  few  minutes  she  was  asleep. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SETTLEMENTS. 

ON  the  following  morning  the  guest  was  the  first 
person  astir  at  Fairacres,  not  even  excepting 
Cleena,  who  rose  with  the  birds ;  and  when  she  opened 
her  kitchen  door,  the  sight  of  him  pacing  the  grass- 
grown  driveway  did  not  tend  to  put  her  in  good  humor. 

But  there  was  little  danger  of  her  breaking  bounds 
again,  in  the  matter  of  behavior.  A  short  talk  had 
passed  between  her  mistress  and  herself,  before  they 
bade  each  other  good  night,  that  had  not  left  the  too 
devoted  servant  very  proud  of  her  overzeal ;  and  she  now 
turned  to  her  stove  to  rattle  off  her  indignation  among 
its  lids  and  grates.  But  she  kept  "  speakin'  with  her- 
self," after  her  odd  fashion,  and  her  tone  was  neither 
humble  nor  flattering. 

"  Arrah  musha !  The  impidence  of  him !  Hasn't 
he  decency  to  wait  till  all's  over  'fore  he  struts  about 
that  gait?  But,  faith,  an'  I'll  show  him  one  thing: 
that's  as  good  a  breakfast  as  ever  he  got  in  the  old 
lady's  time,  as  one  hears  so  much  tell  of." 

Whereupon,  with  this  praiseworthy  ambition,  a  calm 
70 


SETTLEMENTS.  /I 

fell  upon  poor  Cleena's  troubled  spirit,  and  when,  a 
couple  of  hours  later,  the  family  assembled  in  the 
dining  room,  everybody  was  astonished  at  the  feast 
prepared  ;  while  all  but  the  stranger  knew  that  a  week's 
rations  had  been  mortgaged  to  furnish  that  one  meal. 
However,  nobody  made  any  comment,  though  Mr. 
Wingate  found  in  this  show  of  luxury  another  expla- 
nation of  the  Kayes'  financial  straits. 

"  Cuthbert  will  not  be  down  this  morning,  Archibald. 
I  hope  thee  rested  well.  Hallam,  will  thee  take  thy 
father's  place  ?  " 

Mrs.  Kaye's  manner,  as  she  greeted  her  kinsman, 
betrayed  little  of  what  must  have  been  her  real  feeling 
toward  him,  nor  had  her  children  ever  seen  her  more 
composed  and  gentle,  though  Hallam  noticed  that  she 
was  paler  than  ever,  and  that  her  eyes  were  dull,  as  if 
she  had  not  slept 

"  It's  going  to  be  a  miserable  day  outside,"  remarked 
the  guest,  a  little  stiffly. 

"  Inside,  too,  I  fancy,"  answered  Amy.  "  I  hate 
undecided  things.  I  like  either  a  cheerful  downpour 
or  else  sunshine.  I  think  wobbly  weather  is  as  bad  as 
wobbly  folks  —  trying  to  a  body's  temper." 

Mr.  Wingate  laughed,  though  rather  harshly.  Amy 
was  already  his  favorite  in  that  household,  and  he 
reflected  that  under  different  circumstances  than  those 
which  brought  him  to  Fairacres,  he  would  have  found 
her  very  interesting. 


72  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  The  weather  should  not  be  allowed  to  affect  one's 
spirits,"  said  Mrs.  Kaye. 

"  No,  mother ;  I  suppose  not.  Yet,  it  was  so  pretty 
here,  last  night ;  and  now  the  leaves  over  the  windows 
are  all  shrivelled  up,  while  this  border  on  the  tablecloth 
is  as  crooked  as  can  be.  It  all  has  such  an  afterward 
sort  of  look.  Ah,  it  is  raining,  good  and  fast." 

Mrs.  Kaye  excused  herself  and  went  to  look  out  toward 
the  library.  The  wind  was  howling  in  that  direction, 
and  she  exclaimed,  anxiously  :  — 

"  Cleena,  go  at  once  and  see  if  it  is  doing  any  harm 
out  there  !  That  broken  door  and  window  —  put  some- 
thing against  them,  if  it  is." 

"  I  don't  think  there's  any  danger  of  harm.  I've  sent 
for  a  carpenter  more  than  an  hour  ago,"  observed  Mr. 
Wingate. 

"Thee?" 

For  a  moment  there  was  a  flash  in  the  matron's  eyes, 
but  she  did  not  remark  further,  though  Hallam  took  up 
her  cause  with  the  words  :  — 

"  I  suppose  you  meant  it  for  kindness,  but  my  father 
does  not  allow  any  one  to  interfere  with  that  place. 
Even  if  it  rained  in,  I  think  he  would  rather  give  his 
own  orders." 

"  Probably,"  answered  the  guest,  dryly,  while  Cleena 
deposited  a  dish  of  steaming  waffles  upon  the  table  with 
such  vigor  as  to  set  them  all  bouncing. 

"Sure,  mistress,  you'll  be  takin'  a  few  of  these,  why 


SETTLEMENTS.  73 

not.  I  never  turned  me  finer,  an'  that  honey's  the  last 
of  the  lot,  three  times  strained,  too,  an'  you  please." 

"Waffles,  Cleena?  Did  thee  take  some  up  to  the 
master?  I  am  sure  he  would  enjoy  them." 

"Indeed,  I  did  that.  Would  I  forget?  So  eat,  to 
please  Cleena,  and  to  be  strong  for  what  comes." 

Even  Mrs.  Kaye's  indifference  was  not  proof  against 
the  tempting  delicacy,  and  doubtless  the  food  did  give 
her  strength  the  better  to  go  through  a  trying  inter- 
view. For  immediately  breakfast  was  over,  she  rose, 
and,  inviting  the  visitor  into  the  old  parlor,  bade  her 
children  join  them. 

"What  our  cousin  Archibald  has  to  say  concerns  us 
all.  I  leave  it  to  him  to  tell  the  whole  story,"  and 
she  sat  down  with  Amy  snuggled  beside  her,  while  Hal- 
lam  stood  upon  his  crutches  at  her  back. 

Somehow,  Mr.  Wingate  found  it  a  little  difficult  to 
begin,  and  after  several  attempts  he  put  the  plain  ques- 
tion abruptly :  — 

"  When  can  you  leave,  Salome  ? " 

She  caught  her  breath,  and  Amy  felt  the  arm  about 
her  waist  grow  rigid,  but  she  answered  by  another 
question :  — 

"  Must  thee  really  turn  us  out,  Archibald  ?  " 

The  plain,  affectionate  "thee"  touched  him,  yet  for 
that  reason  he  settled  himself  all  the  more  firmly  in  his 
decision. 

"  What  has  to  be  done  would  better  be  done  at  once. 


74  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

It  is  a  long  time,  Salome,  since  I  have  had  any  recom- 
pense for  the  use  of  this  —  my  property —  " 

"  Your  property  ?  "  cried  Hallam. 

"  Yes,  mine.  Mine  it  should  have  been  by  lawful 
inheritance,  save  for  a  rank  injustice  and  favoritism. 
Mine  it  is  now,  by  right  of  actual  purchase,  the  pur- 
chase of  my  own !  Your  mother  seems  to  desire  that 
you  should  at  last  learn  the  whole  truth,  and  I  assure 
you  that  I  have  advanced  more  than  twice  the  money 
required  to  buy  this  place,  even  at  an  "inflated  market 
value.  So,  lad,  don't  get  angry  or  indignant.  I  make 
no  statements  that  I  cannot  prove,  nor  can  your  parents 
deny  that  I  notified  them  to  vacate  these  premises  more 
than  two  years  ago." 

"  Mother,  is  that  so  ? " 

"  Yes,  Hallam." 

"  Why  didn't  we  go,  then  ?  " 

"  Our  cousin  had  a  heart  and  did  not  force  us." 

"  Why  do  you  now,  sir  ? " 

"  Because  I'm  tired  of  waiting.  The  case  grows 
worse  each  day.  I'm  sick  of  throwing  good  money 
after  bad,  while,  all  the  time,  such  folly  as  is  yonder 
goes  on,"  pointing  toward  the  distant  studio.  "  One 
man  is  as  good  to  labor  as  another.  Cuthbert  Kaye 
has  had  money  all  his  life ;  my  money,  of  which  I  was 
defrauded  —  " 

"Archibald!     Beg  pardon,  but  that  is  not  so." 

"  But  it  is  so,  Salome.     If  you  have  been  hoodwinked 


SETTLEMENTS.  75 

and  believed  false  tales,  it  is  time  these  youngsters 
learned  the  facts.  They  are  Kayes,  like  you  and  me. 
It  is  honest  blood,  mostly,  that  runs  in  all  our  veins. 
Well  then,  the  life  they  are  living  is  not  an  honest  life. 
No  man  has  a  right  to  more  than  he  can  pay  for.  Can 
Cuthbert  — " 

"  Archibald,  thee  shall  leave  him  out  of  the  ques- 
tion ! "  cried  the  wife,  roused  from  her  firm  self-control. 
There  was  something  so  appealing  in  her  tone  that  her 
children  watched  her  in  alarm. 

"Very  well.  So  be  it.  Since  he  is  not  man  enough 
to  stand  by  you  in  the  trouble  he  has  brought  upon 
you  — 

"If  thee  continues,  we  will  leave  the  room." 

"  Why  haven't  I  been  able  ever  to  meet  him  then  ? 
Why  has  he  always  thrust  you  between  himself  and 
me  ?  If  he  thought  because  you  were  a  woman  I  would 
forever  put  off  the  day  of  judgment,  he  has  for  once 
reckoned  without  his  host.  I  tell  you  the  end  has  come." 

Mrs.  Kaye  sank  back  in  her  chair,  trembling ;  but  still 
her  lips  were  closed  until  the  angry  guest  had  finished 
his  speech  and  had  walked  off  some  of  his  excitement 
in  a  hasty  pacing  of  the  long  room.  At  length  he 
paused  before  her  and  said,  more  quietly  :  — 

"There  is  no  need  of  our  having  recourse  to  legal 
force.  You  should  leave  without  being  put  out.  That 
is  why  I  came,  to  arrange  it  all  to  your  satisfaction. 
You  are  a  good  woman,  Salome,  as  good  as  any  of 


76  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

your  race  before  you,  and  just  as  big  a  simpleton  when 
your  affections  are  touched.  A  little  more  firmness  on 
your  part,  a  little  less  devotee  sort  of  worship  of  a  —  " 

"  Archibald,  remember  thee  is  speaking  of  what  does 
not  concern  thee.  There  is  no  need  for  rudeness,  nor, 
indeed,  '  legal '  violence.  Had  I  understood,  two  years 
ago,  that  thee  needed  —  needed  —  this  old  home  for  thy- 
self, I  would  have  left  it  then.  It  has,  of  course,  been  to 
our  advantage  to  occupy  it,  but  it  has  also  been  to  thine. 
An  empty  house  goes  swift  to  ruin.  Everything  here 
has  been  well  cared  for,  as  things  held  in  trust  should 
be.  We  will  leave  here  as  soon  as  I  can  find  a  house 
somewhere  to  shelter  us." 

Mrs.  Kaye  rose,  as  if  to  terminate  the  interview ;  but 
Mr.  Wingate  cleared  his  throat  and  lifted  his  hand  as 
if  he  had  something  further  to  say. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  thought  about  this  many  times, 
Salome.  What  are  your  plans  ?  " 

"  They  are  not  definite.  House-hunting  is  the  first,  I 
suppose,  since  we  cannot  do  without  a  roof  to  cover  us." 

"  How  —  I  can't  forget  that  we  are  kinsfolk,  Salome 
—  how  do  you  propose  to  live  ?  I  am  a  plain  business 
man,  as  practical  as  —  I  mean,  use  common  sense. 
There  are  few  houses  to  rent  in  this  out-of-the-way 
town,  where  everybody,  except  the  mill  folks,  owns  his 
own  home,  —  and  even  some  of  them  do.  I've  come  into 
possession  of  a  house  which  might  suit  you  —  '  Hard- 
scrabble.'  I'll  let  you  have  it  cheap." 


SETTLEMENTS.  77 

"  '  Hardscrabble  ' !     The  '  Spite  House '  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  Oh,  Archibald  !  " 

"  Exactly.  I  knew  how  it  would  strike  you.  We 
both  know  the  story  of  the  place,  but  our  grandfather's 
enemy  took  good  care  to  make  his  tenement  comfortable 
inside,  even  if  it  was  ugly  as  sin  outside." 

For  a  while  Mrs.  Kaye  remained  silent,  debating  with 
herself.  Very  soon  she  was  able  to  look  up  and  smile 
gratefully. 

"  Thee  knows  as  well  as  I  what  a  stab  thee  has 
given  my  pride,  Archibald;  but  there  is  that  saving 
'  common  sense '  in  the  offer,  and  love  is  stronger  than 
pride.  Tell  me  what  rent  thee  will  ask,  and  I  will  take 
the  place  if  I  can." 

"Ten  dollars  a  month." 

The  prompt,  strictly  business-like  answer  fairly  star- 
tled its  hearer.  Then  she  smiled  again. 

"  I  have  never  lived  anywhere  save  at  Fairacres,  thee 
knows.  I  must  trust  thee  in  the  matter.  I  have  no 
definite  ideas  about  the  values  of  houses,  but  I  think  I 
can  pay  that.  I  must.  There  is  nowhere  else  to  go. 
Yes,  I  will  take  it." 

"  It's  dirt  cheap,  Salome.  You  will  never  think 
kindly  of  me,  of  course,  but  I'm  dealing  squarely,  even 
generously  by  you.  If  'thee'd,'"  for  the  second  time 
he  dropped  into  the  speech  of  his  childhood,  which  his 
cousin  Salome  had  always  retained,  and  she  was  quick 


78  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

to  observe  this,  "  if  thee  had  trusted  me  years  ago, 
things  might  have  gone  better  with  us  both.  When 
will  thee  move  ? " 

"  To-day." 

"  To-day  ?     There's  no  need  for  quite  such  haste." 

"Thee  said  'the  sooner  the  better,'  and  I  agree. 
Get  the  lease  ready  as  soon  as  possible,  and  I  will  sign 
it.  I've  only  one  thing  to  ask  about  that :  please  don't 
have  the  name  put  as  either  '  Hardscrabble '  or  '  Spite 
House.'  I'd  like  it  called  '  Charity  House.'  " 

"  Upon  my  word,  Salome,  you're  the  queerest  mixture 
of  business  and  sentiment  that  I  ever  met.  You're  as 
fanciful  as  a  girl,  still.  But  the  name  doesn't  matter. 
Call  the  place  '  Faith  '  and  '  Hope '  as  well  as  '  Charity,' 
if  you  wish,  after  you  get  there ;  but  I  won't  alter  the 
lease  which  I  brought  along  with  me  last  night." 

"  Brought  already,  Archibald  ?  Thee  expected  me 
to  go  to  that  place,  then  ? " 

"  Under  the  circumstances,  Salome,  and,  as  you've 
just  admitted,  I  didn't  see  what  else  you  could  do.  I've 
sent  '  Bony '  into  the  village  for  my  lawyer,  because  I 
want  you  should  have  things  all  straight.  He'll  witness 
our  signatures  to  the  lease,  and  if  you'll  pick  out  such 
furniture  as  you  most  especially  care  to  have,  I'll  try 
to  spare  it,  though  the  mortgage  covers  all." 

But  the  speaker's  glance  moved  so  reluctantly  and 
covetously  over  the  antique  plenishing  that  Mrs.  Kaye 
promptly  relieved  his  anxiety. 


SETTLEMENTS.  79 

"  It  would  be  a  pity  to  disturb  these  old,  beloved 
things  in  their  appropriate  places  —  " 

"You're  right,"  interrupted  the  gentleman.  "I've  a 
better  notion  than  that.  I'll  leave  whatever  is  in  '  Spite 
House  '  for  your  use,  and  not  break  up  Fairacres  at  all." 

"  Is  it  still  furnished,  then  ?  " 

"Yes,  according  to  old  Ingraham's  ideas  —  for  hard 
use  and  no  nonsense.  He  had  a  big  family  and  noth- 
ing much  but  his  temper  to  keep  it  on.  However,  if 
there's  anything  actually  needed,  I  suppose  I  could 
advance  a  trifle  more.  It  would  be  for  your  sake,  only, 
Salome." 

"  Thank  thee,  but  I  hope  not  to  run  further  into  thy 
debt,  Archibald,  save  in  case  of  direst  need.  And  do 
not  think  but  that  I  fully  understand  and  appreciate  all 
the  kindness  which  has  permitted  us  to  stay  at  Fairacres 
so  long.  In  some  things,  as  thee  will  one  day  discover, 
thee  has  mistaken  and  misjudged  us  ;  but  in  one  thing 
I  have  understood  and  sympathized  with  thee,  always, 
and  with  all  my  heart:  the  passionate  love  which  a 
Kaye  must  feel  for  his  home  and  all  this." 

There  was  pathos  and  dignity  in  the  quiet  gesture 
which  Salome  Kaye  swept  over  the  apartment  that  had 
been  her  own  for  all  her  life ;  but  there  was  also  cour- 
age and  determination  in  her  bearing  as  she  walked  out 
of  it,  leaning  lightly  upon  Amy's  shoulder,  and  with 
Hallam  limping  beside  her.  Somehow,  too,  Archibald 
Wingate  did  not  feel  quite  as  jubilant  and  successful  as 


80  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

he  had  anticipated,  and  he  welcomed,  as  an  agreeable 
diversion,  the  approach  of  a  buggy,  conveying  his  friend, 
Lawyer  Smith,  to  witness  the  lease  and  to  give  any  need- 
ful advice  in  the  matter. 

"  Hello,  Smith.  Quite  a  rainy  day,  isn't  it  ?  I've  been 
studying  that  row  of  old  pines  and  spruces.  How  do 
you  think  the  avenue'd  look  if  I  was  to  have  'em  trimmed 
up,  say  about  as  high  as  your  head,  from  the  ground  ? 
Give  a  better  view  of  the  old  Ardsley  Valley,  wouldn't 
it  ? " 

The  lawyer  stepped  down  from  his  vehicle,  backward 
and  cautiously,  then  turned,  screwed  up  his  eyes,  and 
replied  deliberately  :  — 

"  Well,  it  might ;  and  then  again  it  mightn't.  It's 
taken  a  good  many  years  for  those  branches  to  grow, 
and  once  they're  off  they  can't  be  put  back  again.  If 
I  was  in  your  place,  I'd  rather  let  things  slide  easy  for 
a  spell;  then  —  go  as  you  please.  Have  you  come  to  a 
settlement  ?  Will  they  quit  without  lawing  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they'll  quit  at  once.  Say,  woman !  You, 
Cleena,  bring  me  a  hatchet,  will  you  ?  I'll  just  lop 
off  a  little  limb  on  one  side,  and  see  the  effect.  Hurry 
up!" 

"Faith,  I'll  fetch  it!"  responded  Cleena,  loudly. 
But  when  she  did  so,  she  advanced  with  such  a  men- 
acing gesture  upon  the  new  proprietor  of  her  old  home 
that  he  shrank  back,  doubtful  of  her  intent.  "  Ain't  it 
enough  to  break  hearts,  without  breakin'  the  helpless 


SETTLEMENTS.  8 1 

trees  your  own  forebears  planted  long  by  ?  —  Aha,  my 
fine  gineral,  so  you're  bad  penny  back  again?  Well, 
then,  you're  the  handle  o'  time.  By  the  way  you 
tacked  up  them  boughs,  you'll  be  clever  at  packin'. 
•Come  by.  I'll  give  ye  a  job." 

Thus,  partly  to  Lawyer  Smith's  caution  and  partly  to 
Cleena's  indignation,  the  fine  evergreens  of  Fairacres 
owed  the  fact  that  they,  for  the  time  being,  escaped 
mutilation. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE    "  SPITE    HOUSE  "    OF    BAREACRE. 

BY  nightfall'  it  was  all  over ;  and  Cleena,  Hallam, 
and  Amy,  with  their  self-constituted  bodyguard, 
Fayette,  were  gathered  about  a  big  table  in  the  kitchen 
of  the  "  Spite  House,"  to  eat  a  supper  of  bread  and 
milk,  and  to  discuss  the  events  of  that  memorable  day. 
Strangely  enough,  as  Amy  thought,  none  of  them  real- 
ized anything  clearly  except  the  facts  of  fatigue  and 
hunger. 

"  Arrah  musha !  but  the  face  of  that  lawyer  body, 
when  I  tells  him  I  was  takin'  the  loan  of  his  bit  buggy 
wagon  for  the  master  an'  mistress  to  ride  to  Burnside 
the  morn,  an'  how  as  old  Adam  would  sure  send  it  back 
by  a  farm-hand,  which  he  did  that  same.  An'  them 
two  goin'  off  so  quiet,  even  smilin",  as  if —  But  there, 
there !  Have  some  more  milk,  Master  Hal.  It's  like 
cream  itself,  so  'tis ;  an'  that  neighbor  woman  in  the 
cottage  yon  is  that  friendly  she'd  be  givin'  me  three 
pints  to  the  quart  if  I'd  leave  her  be." 

"  Well,  dear  old  Adam  will  be  glad  to  see  them  on 
any  terms,  he  is  so  fond  of  father  and  mother.  But 
82 


THE    "  SPITE   HOUSE  "    OF    BAREACRE.  83 

knowing  they're  in  such  trouble,  he'll  have  the  best  of 
everything  for  them  to-night." 

"  Yes,  Adam  Burns  is  as  likely  as  any  man  creature 
can  be,  which  I've  never  been  bothered  with  meself, 
me  guardian  angel  be  praised." 

"  Well,  Cleena,  I've  seen  you  work  hard  before,  but 
you  did  as  much  as  ten  Cleenas  in  one  to-day." 

The  good  woman  sighed,  then  laughed  outright. 
"  It's  been  a  hard  row  for  that  wicked  body  to  hoe." 

"  Who,  Cleena  ?  " 

"  That  sweet,  decent  kinsman  o'  your  own.  Was 
many  an  odd  bit  o'  stuff  went  into  the  van  't  he  never 
meant  should  go  there.  The  face  of  him  when  I  went 
trampin'  up  the  libr'y  stairs,  an'  caught  him  watchin' 
Master  Hallam  packing  the  paint  trash  that  he'd 
allowed  the  master  might  have.  '  Take  anything  you 
want  here,  my  boy,'  says  he.  So,  seein'  Master  Hal 
was  working  dainty  an'  slow,  I  just  sweeps  me  arm  over 
the  whole  business;  an'  I'm  thinkin"  there'll  be  'tubes' 
a  plenty  for  all  the  pictures  master'll  ever  paint  In  a 
fine  heap,  though,  an'  that  must  be  your  job,  Master 
Hal,  come  to-morrow,  to  put  them  all  tidy,  as  'tis  himself 
likes." 

."I'll  be  glad  to  do  it,  Cleena;  but  in  which  of  these 
old  rooms  am  I  to  sleep? " 

Cleena  had  taken  a  rapid  survey  of  the  dusty,  musty 
bedchambers,  and  her  cleanly  soul  revolted  against  her 
"  childer  "  using  any  of  them  in  their  present  condition. 


84  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

So  for  Amy  she  had  put  Mrs.  Kaye's  own  mattress  on 
the  floor  of  what  might  be  a  parlor,  and  spread  it  with 
clean  sheets ;  for  Hallam  there  was  in  another  place  his 
father's  easy  lounge ;  and  for  herself  and  Fayette,  who 
insisted  upon  staying  for  the  night,  there  were  "shake- 
downs "  of  old,  warm  "  comforts." 

"  And  it's  time  we  were  all  off  to  Noddle's  Island. 
It's  up  in  the  mornin'  early  we  must  be.  So  scatter 
yourselves,  all  of  ye,  an'  to  sleep  right  away.  Not  for- 
gettin'  your  prayers,  as  good  Christians  shouldn't." 

"  Of  course  not,"  answered  Amy,  drowsily ;  but  Fay- 
ette looked  as  if  he  did  not  understand. 

"  Sure,  you'll  have  to  be  taught  then,  my  fine  sir,  an' 
I'll  tackle  that  job  with  the  rest  of  to-morrow's." 

But  when  daylight  broke  and  roused  the  active 
Cleena  to  begin  her  formidable  task  of  scrubbing  away 
the  accumulated  dirt  of  years  there  was  no  Fayette  to 
be  found.  Dreamily,  she  recalled  the  sound  of  musical 
instruments,  the  shouts  of  voices,  and  the  squealing  of 
the  rats  that  had  hitherto  been  the  tenants  of  "  Spite 
House " ;  but  which  of  these,  if  any,  was  answerable 
for  the  lad's  absence,  she  could  not  guess. 

"  Well,  I  was  mindin'  to  keep  him  busy,  had  he  stayed  ; 
but  since  he's  gone,  there's  one  mouth  less  to  feed." 

It  did  not  take  the  observant  woman  long  to  discover 
that  the  outlook  for  the  comfort  of  "  her  folks "  was 
even  less  by  daylight  than  it  had  seemed  the  night 
before.  Her  heart  sank,  though  she  lost  no  time  in  use- 


THE  "SPITE  HOUSE"  OF  BAREACRE.  85 

less  regrets,  and  she  did  most  cordially  thank  that 
"guardian  angel"  to  whom  she  so  constantly  referred 
for  having  prevented  her  spending  the  last  twenty-five 
dollars  she  possessed.  This  would  long  ago  have  wasted 
away  had  it  not  been  placed  in  the  care  of  that  true 
friend  of  the  family,  Adam  Burns,  with  whom  her  mas- 
ter and  mistress  had  now  taken  refuge. 

"  Alanna,  that's  luck !  I  was  for  usin'  it  long  syne, 
but  the  old  man  wouldn't  leave  me  do  it.  '  No,  Cleena, 
thee's  not  so  young  as  thee  was,  an'  thee  might  be 
wantin'  it  for  doctor's  stuff,'  says  he.  Twenty-five  dol- 
lars !  That'd  pay  the  rent  an'  buy  flour  an'  tea,  an' 
what  not;  "  and  with  cheerful  visions  of  the  unlimited 
power  of  her  small  capital,  the  old  servant  stooped  to 
fill  her  apron  with  the  stray  chips  and  branches  the  bare 
place  afforded. 

At  that  moment  there  fell  upon  her  ears  the  familiar 
sound  of  Pepita  and  Balaam  braying  in  concert  for  their 
breakfast. 

"  Now  what's  to  feed  them  is  more  nor  I  know ;  yet 
never  a  doubt  I  doubt  it  would  clean  break  the  colleen's 
heart  must  she  part  with  her  neat  little  beast." 

The  braying  roused  Hallam  and  Amy,  also,  from  a 
night  of  dreamless  sleep ;  and  as  they  passed  out  from 
the  musty  house  into  the  crisp  air  of  a  frosty  morning, 
they  felt  more  cheerful  than  they  considered  was  quite 
the  proper  thing,  under  the  circumstances.  Then  Amy 
looked  at  her  brother  and  laughed. 


86  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Isn't  it  splendid  after  the  rain  ?  and  isn't  it  funny 
to  be  here  ?  Yesterday  it  seemed  as  if  the  world  had 
come  to  an  end,  and  now  it  seems  as  if  it  had  just  been 
made  new." 

"  '  Every  morn  is  a  fresh  beginning,'  "  quoted  Hallam, 
who  loved  books  better  than  his  sister  did. 

"  Let's  go  down  to  the  gate,  or  place  where  a  gate 
should  be,  and  take  a  good  look  at  our  —  home." 

"  All  right.  Though  we've  seen  it  at  a  distance,  I 
suppose  it  will  appear  differently  to  us  at  near  hand." 

"And  uglier.  Oh,  but  it's  horrid!  Jiorrid!"  and 
with  a  sudden  revulsion  of  feeling  Amy  buried  her  face 
in  her  hands  and  began  to  cry.  "  I  hate  it.  I  won't 
stay  here.  I  will  not.  I'd  rather  go  home  and  live  in 
the  old  stable  than  here." 

"That  wouldn't  have  been  a  bad  idea,  only  we 
shouldn't  have  been  allowed." 

"  Who  could  have  hindered  that  ?  Who'd  want  an 
empty  stable  ? " 

"  Our  cousin  Archibald !  "  answered  Hallam,  with 
scornful  emphasis.  "  I  believe  he  feels  as  if  he  had 
a  mortgage  on  our  very  souls.  Indeed,  he  said  I  might 
sometime  be  able  to  earn  enough  to  buy  the  place  back, 
as  well  as  pay  all  other  debts.  He  said  he  couldn't 
live  forever,  and  it  was  but  fair  he  should  have  a  few 
years'  possession  of  'his  own.'  He —  Well,  there's  no 
use  talking.  I  wish  —  I  wish  I  were  —  " 

"  No,  no  !  you  don't !     No,  you  don't  either,  Hallam 


THE  "SPITE  HOUSE"  OF  BAREACRE.  87 

Kaye !  I  know  what  you  began  to  say,  and  you  shall 
not  finish.  You  shall  not  die.  You  shall  get  well  and 
strong  and  do  all  those  things  he  said.  I'm  ashamed 
of  myself  that  I  cried.  I  felt  last  night  as  if  my  old 
life  were  all  a  beautiful  dream,  and  that  I  had  just 
waked  up  into  a  real  world  where  I  had  to  do  things 
for  myself  and  for  others ;  not  have  others  do  for  me 
any  longer." 

"  That  was  about  the  state  of  the  case,  I  fancy." 

"  Well,  that  isn't  so  bad.  It  shouldn't  be,  that  is ; 
for  I  have  such  health  and  strength  and  everything. 
Nothing  matters  so  much  as  long  as  we  are  all  to- 
gether." 

"  Nobody  knows  how  long  we  shall  be.  I  don't  like 
these  '  attacks '  of  father's,  Amy.  I'm  afraid  of  them. 
It  will  kill  him  to  live  here." 

It  needed  but  the  possibility  of  giving  comfort  to 
somebody  to  arouse  all  Amy's  natural  hopefulness,  and 
she  commanded  with  a  shake  of  her  forefinger :  — 

"  Hallam  Kaye,  you  stop  it !  I  won't  have  it !  If 
you  keep  it  up,  I  shall  have  to  —  to  cuff  you." 

"  Try  it !  "  cried  the  brother,  already  laughing  at  her 
fierce  show  of  spirit;  yet  to  tempt  her  audacity  he 
thrust  his  fingers  through  her  short  curls  and  wagged 
her  head  playfully. 

She  did  not  resent  it;  she  could  resent  nothing 
Hallam  ever  did  save  that  morbid  talk  of  his.  She 
had  been  fighting  with  this  spirit  ever  since  she  could 


88  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

remember,  and  their  brief  "tussle"  over,  she  crept 
closer  to  him  along  the  old  stone  wall  and  begged :  — 

"  Cleena  has  tied  the  burros  out  to  graze  in  the 
weeds,  and  that  will  be  their  breakfast,  and  while  we're 
waiting  for  ours,  I  wish  you'd  tell  me  all  you  know 
about  'Spite  House.'  I've  heard  it,  of  course,  but  it's 
all  mixed  up  in  my  mind,  and  I  don't  see  just  where 
that  cousin  Archibald  comes  in." 

"  Oh,  he  comes  in  easily  enough.  He's  a  descend- 
ant of  old  Jacob  Ingraham  as  well  as  of  the  house  of 
Kaye.  I  believe  it  was  in  this  way :  our  great-grand- 
father Thomas  Kaye  and  Jacob  were  brothers-in-law, 
and  there  was  some  trouble  about  money  matters." 

"Seems  to  me  all  the  mean,  hateful  troubles  are 
about  money.  I  don't  see  why  it  was  ever  made." 

"  Well,  they  had  such  trouble  anyway.  Great-grand- 
father had  just  built  Fairacres,  and  had  spent  a  great 
deal  to  beautify  the  grounds.  He  was  a  pretty  rich 
man,  I  fancy,  and  loved  to  live  in  a  great  whirl  of 
society  and  entertain  lots  of  people  and  all  that.  He 
was  especially  fond  of  the  view  from  the  front  of  the 
house  and  had  cut  away  some  of  the  trees  for  '  vistas ' 
and  'outlooks'  and  'views.'  There  were  no  mills  on 
the  Ardsley  then.  They  came  in  our  own  grand- 
father's time.  It  was  just  a  beautiful,  shimmering 
river  —  " 

"  Hal,  you're  a  poet !  " 

"  Never,"  said  the  boy,  with  a  blush. 


THE  "SPITE  HOUSE"  OF  BAREACRE.  89 

"  But  you  are.  You  tell  things  so  I  can  just  see 
them.  I  can  see  that  shimmering  river  this  instant, 
in  my  mind,  with  my  eyes  shut.  I  can  see  boats  full 
of  people  sailing  on  it,  and  hear  music  and  laughter 
and  everything  lovely." 

"  Who's  the  poet  now  ?  " 

"  I'm  not.     But  go  on." 

"  It  seems  that  old  Mr.  Ingraham  thought  he  had 
been  cheated  by  great-grandfather  — 

"  Likely  enough  he  had.  Else  I  don't  see  where  he 
got  all  that  money  to  do  things." 

"  But,  missy,  he  was  our  relative.     He  was  a  Kaye." 

"  There  might  be  good  Kayes  and  bad  Kayes, 
mightn't  there  ? " 

"  Amy,  you're  too  honest  for  comfort.  You  may  think 
a  spade's  a  spade,  but  you  needn't  always  mention  it." 

"  Go  on  with  the  story.  In  a  few  minutes  Cleena 
will  call  us  to  our  '  frugal  repast,'  like  the  poor  children 
in  stories,  and  I  want  to  hear  all  about  this  'ruined 
castle'  I've  come  to  live  in,  I  mean  'dwell,'  for  story- 
book girls — 'maidens'  —  never  do  anything  so  common- 
place as  just  'live.'  Rally,  boy,  there's  a  lot  of  humbug 
in  this  world." 

"  How  did  you  find  that  out,  Miss  Experience  ? " 

"  I  didn't  trouble  to  find  it,  I  just  read  it.  I  thought 
it  sounded  sort  of  nice  and  old,  so  I  said  it." 

"  Humph !  Well,  do  you  want  to  hear,  or  will  you 
keep  interrupting?" 


9C  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  I  do  want  to  hear,  and  I  probably  shall  interrupt. 
I  am  not  blind  to  my  own  besetting  sins." 

"  Listen.  Just  as  great-grandfather  had  everything 
fixed  to  his  taste  and  was  enjoying  life  to  the  utmost, 
old  Jacob  came  here  to  this  knoll  that  faces  Fairacres 
—  Oh,  you  needn't  turn  around  to  see.  The  trees  have 
grown  again,  and  the  view  is  hidden.  On  this  knoll,  if 
there  was  anything  tall,  it  would  spoil  the  Fairacres' 
view.  So  Jacob  built  this  '  Spite  House.'  He  made  it 
as  ugly  as  he  could,  and  he  did  everything  outrageous  to 
make  great-grandfather  disgusted.  He  named  this  rocky 
barren  '  Bareacre,'  and  that  little  gully  yonder  he  called 
'  Glenpolly,'  because  his  enemy  had  named  the  beautiful 
ravine  we  know  as  '  Glenellen.'  Polly  and  Ellen  were 
the  wives'  names,  and  I've  heard  they  grieved  greatly 
over  the  quarrel.  Mr.  Ingraham  painted  huge  signs 
with  the  names  on  them,  and  hung  up  scarecrows  on 
poles,  because  he  wouldn't  let  a  tree  grow  here,  even 
if  it  could.  There  are  a  few  now,  though.  Look  like 
old  plum  trees.  My,  what  a  home  for  our  mother!  " 

Amy's  face  sobered  again,  as  she  regarded  the  ugly 
stone  structure  which  still  looked  strong  enough  to  defy 
all  time,  but  which  no  lapse  of  years  had  done  much 
to  beautify.  Nothing  had  ever  thrived  at  Bareacre, 
which  was,  in  fact,  a  hill  of  apparently  solid  stone, 
sparsely  covered  by  the  poorest  of  soil.  The  house  was 
big,  for  the  Ingraham  family  had  been  numerous,  but  it 
was  as  square  and  austere  as  the  builders  could  make  it. 


THE    "  SPITE    HOUSE  "    OF    BAREACRE.  QI 

The  roof  ended  exactly  at  the  walls,  which  made  it 
look,  as  Amy  said,  "  like  a  girl  with  her  eyelashes  cut 
off."  There  were  no  blinds  or  shutters  of  any  sort,  and 
nothing  to  break  the  bleak  winds  which  swept  down 
between  the  hills  of  Ardsley,  and  which  nipped  the 
life  of  any  brave  green  thing  that  tried  to  make  a  hold 
there.  A  few  mullein  stalks  were  all  that  flourished, 
and  the  stunted  fruit  trees  which  Hallam  had  noticed 
seemed  but  a  pitiful  parody  upon  the  rich  verdure  of 
the  elsewhere  favored  region. 

"  Has  nobody  ever  lived  here  since  that  wicked  old 
man  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  think  so.  But  nobody  for  long,  nor 
could  anybody  make  it  a  home." 

"It  looks  as  if  it  had  been  blue,  up  there  by  the 
roof." 

"  I  believe  it  was.  I've  heard  that  every  color  pos- 
sible was  used  in  painting  it,  so  as  to  make  it  the  more 
annoying  to  a  person  of  good  taste,  such  as  great- 
grandfather was." 

"  Heigho!     Well,  we've  got  to  live  here." 

"  Or  die.  It's  hopeless.  I  can't  see  a  ray  of  light  in 
the  whole  situation." 

"  You  dear  old  bat,  you  should  wear  specs.  I  can 
see  several  rays.  I'll  count  them  off.  Ray  one  :  the 
ugly  all-sorts-of-paint  has  been  washed  away  by  the 
weather.  Ray  two :  the  air  up  here  is  as  pure  as  it's 
sharp,  and  there's  nothing  to  obstruct  or  keep  it  from 


92  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

blowing  your  '  hypo '  away.  Ray  three  :  there  are  our 
own  darling  burros  already  helping  to  'settle'  by  mowing 
the  weeds  with  their  mouths.  What  a  blessing  is 
hunger,  rightly  utilized !  And,  finally,  there's  that 
worth-her-weight-in-gold  Goodsoul  waving  her  pudding- 
stick,  which  in  this  new,  unique  life  of  ours  must  mean 
'breakfast.'  Come  along.  Heigho !  Who's  that? 
Our  esteemed  political  friend,  '  Rep-Dem-Prob.'  I'd 
forgotten  him.  Now,  by  the  lofty  bearing  with  which 
he  ascends  to  our  castle  of  discontent,  I  believe  he's 
been  out  'marching.'  " 

It  was,  indeed,  Fayette  whom  they  saw  climbing  over 
the  rocks.  He  wore  his  oilcloth  blouse  and  his  gay 
helmet,  and  soon  they  could  hear  his  rude  voice  singing 
and  see  the  waving  of  his  broom. 

"  He  ?  Coming  back  again  ?  Why,  we  can't  keep 
him.  We  can't  even  '  keep  '  ourselves." 

"Yet  never  a  doubt  I  doubt  he  means  to  tarry," 
quoted  Amy,  laughing  at  her  brother's  rueful  counte- 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

NEEDS    AND    HELPERS. 

"  OURE,  I  thought  ye  had  lost  yourself  or  been  ate 

<3  by  the  rats  !  "  cried  Cleena,  as  Fayette  rather 
timidly  peered  in  at  the  open  kitchen  door.  "  But  all 
rogues  is  fond  o'  good  atin',  so  I  suppose  you've  come 
for  your  breakfast,  eh  ?  " 

"  No.     I've  et." 

"  Must  ha'  been  up  with  the  lark  then.  No,  hold  on. 
Don't  go  in  there.  They're  master  Hallam  an'  Miss 
Amy  still,  an'  always  will  be.  They  eats  by  them- 
selves, as  the  gentry  should.  If  there's  ought  left 
when  they're  done,  time  enough  for  you  an'  me." 

"  I've  had  my  breakfast,  I  told  you." 

"  Didn't  seem  to  set  well  on  your  stummick  either, 
by  the  way  your  temper  troubles  ye.  Are  ye  as  ready 
to  work  as  ye  was  yesterday  ? " 

"  Yes.     What  I  come  back  for." 

Cleena  .paused  and  studied  the  ill-shaped,  vacant, 
though  not  vicious,  face  of  the  unfortunate  waif.  Some- 
thing drew  her  sympathy  toward  him,  and  she  pitied 
him  for  the  mother  whom  he  had  never  known.  In  the 
adjoining  room  she  could  hear  the  voices  of  her  own 
93 


94  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"childer,"  with  their  cultured  inflection  and  language, 
which  was  theirs  by  inheritance  and  as  unconsciously 
as  were  "Bony's"  harsh  tones  and  rude  speech  his 
own. 

"  Arrah  musha !  but  it's  a  queer  world,  I  d'know. 
There's  them  an'  there's  him,  an'  the  Lord  made  'em 
both.  Hear  me,  me  gineral.  Take  a  hold  o'  that 
broom  o'  yours,  an'  show  me  what  it's  made  for.  If 
you're  as  clean  as  you're  homebly,  I  might  stand  your 
good  friend.  What  for  no  ?  " 

Fayette  had  returned  Cleena's  cool  stare  with  an- 
other as  steady.  He  liked  her  far  better  and  more 
promptly  than  she  liked  him,  yet  in  that  moment  of 
scrutiny  each  had  measured  the  other  and  formed  a 
tacit  partnership.  "  For  the  family,"  was  Cleena's 
watchword,  and  it  had  already  become  the  half-wit's. 

Cleena  went  to  the  well,  tied  her  clothesline  to  the 
leaky  old  bucket  and  lowered  it.  On  the  night  before 
she  had  obtained  a  pail  of  spring  water  from  the  cottage 
at  the  foot  of  the  knoll,  from  the  same  friendly  neighbor 
who  had  sold  her  the  milk.  But  their  own  well  must 
be  fixed.  To  her  dismay  she  found  that  it  was  very 
deep,  and  that  the  bit  of  water  which  remained  in  the 
bucket  when  it  was  drawn  up  was  quite  unfit  even  for 
cleaning  purposes. 

This  worried  her.  A  scarcity  of  water -was  one  of 
the  few  trials  which  she  had  been  spared,  and  she  could 
hardly  have  met  a  heavier.  As  she  turned  toward  the 


NEEDS   AND    HELPERS.  95 

house  she  saw  that  Fayette  had  carefully  set  out  of 
doors  the  old  chairs  and  the  other  movable  furniture 
which  the  kitchen  had  contained,  and  that,  before 
sweeping,  he  was  using  his  broom  to  brush  the  cob- 
webs from  the  ceiling.  The  sight  filled  her  with  joy 
and  amazement. 

"  Saints  bless  us  !  That's  the  first  man  body  I  ever 
met  that  had  sense  like  that!"  and  she  lifted  up  her 
voice  in  a  glad  summons  :  — 

"  You,  Napoleon  Gineral  Bonyparty,  come  by !  " 

"  Before  I  finish  here  ?  " 

"  Before  the  wag  o'  dog's  tail.     Hurry  up  ! " 

"  The  wind'll  blow  it  all  over  again." 

"  Leave  it  blow.  Come  by.  Here's  more  trouble 
even  nor  cobwebs,  avick!  First  need  is  first  served." 

This  summoned  Hallam  and  Amy  out  to  see  what 
was  going  on,  and  after  learning  the  difficulty  and  peer- 
ing into  the  depths  of  the  old  pit  they  offered  their  sug- 
gestions. Said  Amy :  — 

"  We  might  draw  it  up,  bucket  by  bucket,  and  throw 
it  away.  Then  I  suppose  it  would  fill  with  clean  water, 
wouldn't  it  ? " 

"If  we  did,  'twould  break  all  our  backs  an'  there's 
more  to  do  than  empty  old  wells.  Master  Hal,  what's 
your  say  ?  " 

"Hmm,  we  might  rig  up  some  sort  of  machinery  and 
stir  it  all  up,  and  with  chemicals  we  could  clear  it 
and  —  " 


96  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Troth  we  could,  if  we'd  a  month  o'  Sundays  to  do 
it  in  an'  slathers  o'  time  an'  money  spoilin'  to  be  spent." 

Hallam  was  disgusted.  Already  he  had  blamed  him- 
self for  his  haughty  refusal  of  Mr.  Wingate's  offer,  on 
the  previous  day,  to  send  a  practical  man  to  look  over  the 
premises  and  "  set  them  going,"  as  any  landlord  would. 

But  the  lad  had  replied,  as  one  in  authority  to  decide 
for  his  absent  parents :  "  We  won't  trouble  you,  sir. 
What  happens  to  us,  after  we  leave  Fairacres,  is  our 
own  affair.  If  you  get  your  rent,  that  should  be  suffi- 
cient for  you." 

After  that  the  offer  was  not  renewed ;  for  Mr.  Win- 
gate  was  not  the  man  to  waste  either  money  or  service, 
and  the  lad's  tone  angered  him. 

Regrets  were  now,  as  always,  useless,  and  Cleena's 
open  disdain  of  Hallam's  suggestion  sent  him  limp- 
ing angrily  away ;  though  Amy  laughed  over  her  own 
"valuable  contribution  to  the  solution  of  the  dilemma," 
and  by^her  intentional  use  of  the  longest  words  at  hand 
caused  Fayette  to  regard  her  with  a  wonderment  that 
was  ludicrous  in  itself. 

"  Well,  Goodsoul,  we've  helped  a  lot.  Ask  our  '  Rep- 
Dem-Prob '  what  his  '  boys '  would  do." 

"  What  for  no  ?  Sure,  he's  more  sense  nor  the  whole 
of  us.  Say,  me  gineral,  what's  the  way  out  ? " 

Fayette  colored  with  pride.  He  had  an  inordinate 
vanity,  and,  like  most  of  his  sort,  he  possessed  an  almost 
startling  keenness  of  intelligence  in  some  respects,  as 


NEEDS    AND    HELPERS.  97 

contrasted  with  his  foolishness  in  others.  Moreover,  he 
had  been  disciplined  by  poverty,  and  had  always  lived 
among  working  people  and,  for  a  long  time,  about  the 
carpet  mills. 

"  Well,  the  '  Supe's '  force-pump." 

"  Hmm,  I  know,  I  know.  But  what's  the  'Supe' 
an'  his  pump  ?  Is  he  fish,  flesh,  or  fowl,  eh  ?  " 

"  He's  the  'Supe  '  to  the  mill.     Ain't  ye  any  sense  ?  " 

"  No.  None  left  after  botherin'  with  you.  What's 
it,  Miss  Amy  ?  " 

"  I  know.     You  mean  Mr.  Metcalf,  don't  you  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  What  would  he  do  ?     How  could  he  help  us  ?  " 

"  Lend  me  the  donkey.  I'll  ride  and  tell  him.  All 
them  houses  —  see  them  mill  cottages,  down  yonder  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  They  look  very  pretty  from  here,  with 
all  the  trees  about  them." 

"  They've  got  wells.  Once  in  six  months  the  wells 
has  to  be  cleared  out.  That's  orders.  Me  an'  an- 
other fellow  goes  down  'em,  after  the  pump's  drawed 
out  all  it  can.  We  bail  'em  out.  I  clean  cisterns,  too. 
Ain't  another  fellow  in  the  village  as  good  at  a  cistern 
as  me.  See,  I'm  slim.  I  can  get  down  a  man-hole  't 
nobody  else  can.  Shall  I  go  ?  " 

"  I'll  ask  Hallam." 

Who,  upon  consultation,  replied:  — 

"  I  suppose  it's  the  only  thing  we  can  do,  but  it  does 
go  against  my  inclination  to  ask  favors  of  anybody." 


9»  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"Hal,  that's  silly.  We  must  send  Fayette  to 
Mr.  Metcalf,  and  will  you  write  the  note,  or 
shall  I?" 

"You,  since  you've  seen  him,  personally." 

"  Which  is  the  only  way  I  could  see  him,"  laughed 
the  girl,  and  ran  into  the  house  to  find  a  sheet  of  paper. 
Then  the  mill  boy  was  given  his  choice  of  the  burros, 
to  ride  as  messenger ;  and  having  selected  Balaam, 
departed  down  the  slope  in  high  glee.  When  he 
reached  the  mill,  and  Mr.  Metcalf  was  at  liberty  to  see 
him,  he  began  a  voluble  description  of  all  that  had  oc- 
curred since  his  chance  meeting  with  Amy  in  the  wood ; 
but  the  superintendent  cut  the  story  short. 

"  Now,  see  here,  'Bony.'  This  is  the  chance  of  your 
life.  Understand  ?  They  are,  I  should  think,  the  very 
nicest  folks  you  ever  saw.  Well,  treat  them  square. 
None  of  your  monkey  shines  nor  nonsense.  Do  every- 
thing you  can  to  help  them.  Of  course  you  can  have 
the  pump,  though  you  can't  carry  it  up  to  '  Hard- 
scrabble '  donkey-back.  That  fellow  is  as  black  as 
his  brother,  or  sister,  is  white.  They're  the  prettiest 
donkeys  I  ever  saw.  How  my  youngsters  would  like 
such.  Well,  go  round  to  John.  There's  no  teaming  to 
be  done  this  morning,  and  he  shall  take  the  pump  there 
in  the  wagon.  He'll  help  you  too,  no  doubt,  for  a  small 
payment." 

"  Say,  '  Supe.'  " 

"Well?" 


NEEDS   AND    HELPERS.  99 

"  I  don't  believe  they've  got  any  money.  Don't  look 
so  they  had  a  cent.  Ain't  it  queer  ?  With  all  them 
purty  things  an'  the  way  they  act  an'  talk.  Ain't  like 
nobody  I  ever  saw  before  Ain't  never  saw  anybody 
liked  each  other  so  much.  I'm  goin'  to  stay." 

"  Have  they  asked  you  ?  " 

"No." 

"Well,  run  along  and  get  hold  of  John  before  he 
goes  home  for  a  nap,  as  he  might,  with  nothing  needed 
here." 

Then,  when  Fayette  had  left  him,  Mr.  Metcalf  took 
up  Amy's  note  and  reread  it. 

The  second  perusal  pleased  the  gentleman  even  more 
than  the  first.  He  thought  that  the  little  letter  was 
very  characteristic  of  the  girl  he  had  met,  and  he 
specially  liked  her  statement  that  his  former  kindness 
presupposed  a  later  one.  So  he  stopped  John,  the 
teamster,  as  he  was  driving  out  of  the  mill  yard,  with 
the  request :  — 

"  You  stay  up  there  all  day,  if  you  can  be  of  any 
use.  Got  your  dinner  with  you  ?  and  the  horses'  ? 
Good  enough.  I've  heard  about  that  family  being 
turned  out  from  their  old  home,  and  whether  it  was 
justly  done  or  not  doesn't  alter  the  fact  of  its  hardness. 
Lend  them  a  hand,  as  if  it  were  for  me,  John,  and  I'll 
make  it  all  right  with  you." 

"  It's  all  right  already,  sir.  I  saw  that  girl,  when 
she  was  down  here  that  day ;  saw  her  take  her  fine 


IOO  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

little  handkerchief  out  of  her  pocket  and  wipe  that 
idiot's,  or  next  door  to  idiot,  wipe  his  lips  as  nice  as 
if  he  was  her  own  brother.  Ain't  one  of  the  mill  girls'd 
do  that.  They'd  be  too  dainty.  She  wasn't,  because 
she  was  quality.  It  always  tells.  Pity  though  that 
such  folks  have  so  little  common  sense.  Now  — 

But  Mr.  Metcalf  warded  off  any  further  talk  of  the 
good  John,  who  had  lived  at  Ardsley  all  his  life  and 
knew  the  history  of  the  Kaye  household  almost  better 
than  they  knew  it  themselves. 

"  I'll  ask  you  to  tell  me  about  them  another  time. 
Just  now  I  guess  you'd  better  hurry  to  get  them  a 
decent  drink  of  water.  Hold  on,  '  Bony.'  Ride  over 
to  the  office  door.  I'll  send  a  note  back  to  Miss  Kaye, 
and  want  you  to  carry  her  a  little  basket." 

So  this  was  the  note  which  answered  Amy's,  and 
that  proved  its  writer  to  be  a  gentleman,  even  though 
he  had  begun  life  a  humble  ash-boy  in  just  such  a 
mill  as  he  now  managed  so  ably :  — 

"  MY  DEAR  Miss  AMY  :  The  kindness  is  wholly 
on  your  side  in  allowing  me  to  serve  you,  and  I  hope 
you  will  command  me  in  any  further  matter  wherein 
I  can  be  of  use. 

"  I  am  sending  the  pump  by  John  Young,  our 
teamster,  with  instructions  to  remain  under  your  orders 
for  the  rest  of  the  day.  You  will  find  that  'Bony' 
thoroughly  understands  the  business  of  well-cleaning, 


NEEDS   AND    HELPERS.  IOI 

but  you  will  have  to  restrain  him  from  venturing  into 
any  great  hazard,  because,  poor  lad,  he  has  not  the 
caution  to  balance  his  daring. 

"  I  am  offering,  also,  a  little  basket  of   fruit  which 
came  my  way  this  morning,  and  which  looks,  I  fancy, 
as  if  it  wanted  to  be  eaten  by  just  such  a  girl  as  you. 
"  Faithfully  yours, 

"WILLIAM  METCALF." 

When  Amy  read  this  note  aloud  to  Hallam  and 
Cleena,  she  did  so  in  a  proud  and  happy  voice. 

"  Well,  I've  written  letters  for  mother,  and  father, 
too,  sometimes,  but  I've  not  had  many  of  my  own. 
This  is.  I'm  going  to  keep  it  always.  The  very  first 
one  that  has  come  here.  Isn't  he  just  the  dearest 
man  ?  Oh !  I  am  so  happy  I  must  just  sing.  It's 
such  a  beautiful  world,  after  all,  and  maybe  we've  had 
all  our  old  things  taken  away  just  to  teach  us  that  folks 
are  better  than  things.  I  feel  as  if  I'd  come  out  of  a 
musty  room  into  the  open  air." 

"  Amy  Kaye  !  You  should  be  ashamed  of  yourself. 
Have  you  no  heart  at  all  ?  As  for  musty  rooms,  if  you  can 
find  any  to  beat  these  at  '  Spite  House/  you'll  do  well." 

"I  know.  I'm  'bad,'  of  course,  but  come  on.  I'll 
fetch  you  all  father's  tubes  and  brushes  that  are  in 
such  a  muddle,  and  you  can  sort  them  right  near  the 
well,  and  watch  John  fix  it,  and  take  care  of  Fayette ; 
I'm  going  in  and  help  Cleena,  in  any  way  I  can." 


IO2  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Amy's  cheerfulness  was  certainly  infectious.  It  was 
also  helpful  to  Hallam's  gloomy  mood  that  just  then 
there  should  be  the  well  and  cistern  cleaning,  Mr. 
Young  having  discovered  a  cistern  beneath  a  pile  of 
decayed  boards,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house. 
But  the  water  in  both  being  unfit  for  use,  Amy  bravely 
picked  up  a  couple  of  pails  and  started  down  hill  to 
their  new  neighbor's  cottage. 

"Wait,  Amy,  I'll  rig  up  something,"  called  the  crip- 
ple ;  and  by  the  aid  of  a  rope,  a  barrel  stave,  and  some 
wire  he  managed  to  hang  the  pails  on  either  side 
Pepita's  saddle.  "  So  all  you'll  have  to  do  will  be  walk 
up  and  down  and  make  her  behave,"  referring  to 
Pepita's  uncertain  temper. 

"  If  I  had  a  barrel  I'd  better  that  job,"  said  John 
the  teamster.  "  I'd  drive  down  once  and  get  all  you 
needed  for  the  day." 

"  But  there  isn't  any  barrel  that  will  hold  water," 
answered  the  girl.  "So  I'll  play  'Jack  and  Jill'  with 
Pepita,  as  long  as  Cleena  wishes.  Besides,  the  cottage 
children  think  she's  beautiful,  and  they  are  so  kind  they 
help  me  fill  the  pails  each  trip,  as  well  as  give  us  the 
water  in  them." 

John  wiped  his  brow  and  looked  admiringly  upon  her. 
"  Keep  that  spirit,  lass,  and  it'll  make  small  difference 
to  you  whether  your  purse  is  empty  or  full.  But '  give  ' 
you  the  water  ?  I  should  say  yes.  The  Lord  gave  it 
to  them  in  the  first  place,  free  as  the  air  of  heaven. 


NEEDS    AND    HELPERS.  1 03 

Well,  there'll  be  water  to  spare  up  here,  too,  soon,  for 
we've  got  the  pump  about  ready  for  work." 

It  was  a  long  time,  though,  before  any  impression  was 
made  upon  the  accumulation  of  water  in  the  deep  well. 
After  a  while,  however,  less  came  with  each  draft,  and  it 
was  thicker  and  fouler.  Finally,  the  pump  ceased  to 
be  of  any  use,  and  was  drawn  up  and  laid  beside  the 
broken  curb.  Then  came  the  interesting  part  of  the 
task,  as  well  as  the  perilous. 

Keeping  an  eye  upon  all  of  Fayette's  movements, 
John  had  allowed  him  "to  boss  the  job,"  partly  because 
the  lad  did  fully  understand  his  business,  and  partly  to 
give  him  pleasure.  But  now  was  need  for  utmost 
caution. 

"  Will  you  fetch  me  a  candle  ? "  the  teamster  asked 
Cleena;  and  when  she  had  done  so  he  fastened  it  to 
the  end  of  the  clothesline  and  slowly  lowered  it  into  the 
shaft.  The  flame  was  instantly  extinguished. 

"  Hmm,  have  to  wait  a  spell,  I  reckon.  Might  as 
well  tackle  the  cistern." 

"What  made  the  candle  go  out?  Was  there  a 
wind  ?  "  asked  Amy. 

"  Carbonic  acid  gas,"  answered  her  brother. 

"  Huh,"  said  Fayette,  contemptuously,  "  'twa'n't 
neither.  Just  choke  damp  an'  fixed  air.  Soon's  the 
candle'll  stay  lighted,  I'll  go  down.  Cistern's  the  same, 
only  wider.  Got  a  powder  here'll  fix  it,  if  it  don't  clear 
soon." 


IO4  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

After  the  cistern  was  cleaned,  and  this  was  a  much 
easier  task  than  the  well,  Fayette  returned  to  the  curb, 
again  lighted  the  candle,  and  lowered  it.  The  foul  and 
poisonous  gases  had  mostly  passed  away,  and  the  flame 
continued  to  burn  as  far  down  as  the  clothesline  would 
reach. 

"  That's  all  right;  I'll  tackle  it  now." 

"  No,  you'll  not.     None  o'  your  foolhardiness  here." 

"Who  made  you  boss  o'  me,  John  Young  ? " 

"  I  did.  I'll  prevent  you,  if  I  have  to  hold  on  to  you. 
Best  leave  it  open  till  to-morrow,  or  longer  even,"  said 
John.  "  I'm  going  to  eat  my  dinner  now.  Come  and 
have  some." 

"  Bime-by.  I'm  goin'  to  take  off  my  shoes.  Work 
best  when  I'm  barefoot." 

The  answer  gave  John  no  concern,  for  he  knew  this 
peculiarity  of  Fayette's  ;  so  he  walked  quietly  away 
toward  the  old  shed  where  he  had  tied  his  horses,  to 
give  them  their  food  and  secure  his  own.  Before  he 
reached  them,  however,  he  heard  a  loud  shout,  and, 
turning,  saw  the  foolish  boy  capering  about  on  the  beam 
which  had  been  laid  across  the  top  of  the  well,  and  from 
which  the  rope  and  bucket  were  still  suspended. 

"  '  Bony,'  you  fool,  get  off  that !  A  misstep  and 
you're  gone  !  " 

"  All  right,  I'll  get  off !  " 

There  was  a  wild  waving  of  arms,  a  burst  of  derisive 
laughter,  and  "  Bony  "  had  disappeared. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  WATERLOO  OF  BONAPARTE  LAFAYETTE. 

THE  teamster's  cry  of  horror  brought  everybody  to 
the  scene.  Cleena  was  the  first  to  reach  it  and 
to  find  John  standing  by  the  mouth  of  the  well,  white- 
faced  and  trembling. 

"What's  it?  What's  down  there?  What  mean  ye 
yellin'  that  gait  ?  Speak,  man,  if  ye  can." 

He  could  only  point  downward,  while  he  strained  his 
ears  to  catch  any  sound  that  might  come  from  below. 

Then  Cleena  shook  him  fiercely.  "  Speak,  I  tell  ye ! 
Where's  the  boy  ?  " 

The  other  still  pointed  down  into  the  shaft,  but  he 
made  out  to  say  :  — 

"  I  heard  him  laugh,  then  shout,  and  he  must  have 
gone  stark  crazy." 

"  He  down  there  ?  That  poor,  senseless  gossoon  ? 
Where  was  you  that  you'd  leave  him  do  it  ?  " 

"  I  was  walking — wait !  I  hear  something." 

Four  white,  terror-stricken  faces  now  bent  above  the 
old  well,  while  Cleena's  arms  clasped  her  "  childer " 
tightly,  fearing  they,  too,  might  be  snatched  away  from 
her. 


IO6  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Saints  save  us,  it's  bewitched !  Oh,  the  day,  the 
day  !  " 

"  Shut  up,  woman  !     Keep  still.     I  hear  something." 

Again  they  stooped  and  listened,  and  Amy's  keen 
ears  reported,  joyfully  :  — 

"  It's  Fayette  !  It  is,  it  is  !  It  sounds  as  if  he  were 
speaking  from  the  far  end  of  a  long,  long  tube.  But 
he's  alive,  he's  alive  !  " 

"  He  might  as  well  be  dead.  His  bones  must  be 
broken,  and  he  can't  live  long  in  such  an  air  as  that," 
said  Hallam. 

"  I  don't  know.  That  he's  alive  at  all  proves  that 
the  air  isn't  as  bad  as  I  thought.  Besides,  he  may  not 
have  broken  any  bones.  He's  had  fearful  falls,  before 
this,  and  he  always  came  out  about  sound.  But  the 
rope  doesn't  reach  much  more  than  two-thirds  down. 
I've  heard  they  dug  this  well  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
deep.  They  had  to,  to  reach  water  from  top  this 
rock." 

"A  hundred  and  fifty  feet!  How  can  we  possibly 
reach  him  ? " 

"  Not  by  standin'  talkin'.  Whisk  to  the  cottage, 
Amy,  an'  beg  the  length  of  all  the  rope  they  have.  To 
save  a  lad's  life  —  be  nimble !  " 

The  girl  was  away  long  before  Cleena  finished  speak- 
ing, while  the  latter  herself  darted  into  the  house, 
caught  off  the  sheets  and  blankets  from  the  beds,  and 
tore  them  into  strips.  Never  wasting  one  motion  of 


THE    WATERLOO    OF    BONAPARTE    LAFAYETTE.        IO/ 

her  strong  hands,  and  praying  ceaselessly,  she  tied  each 
fresh  length  and  tested  it  with  all  her  force. 

Meanwhile  Amy  almost  flew  over  the  space  between 
"  Spite  House  "  and  the  cottage,  arriving  there  nigh 
breathless ;  but  gasping  out  her  errand,  she  rushed 
straight  to  the  line  in  the  drying  yard  and  began  to  tear 
it  from  its  fastenings  on  the  poles. 

"  You're  wanting  my  rope,  miss  ?  Somebody  in  the 
well  ?  Heaven  help  him  !  But  wait !  If  it's  cleaning 
the  well  he  is,  why  of  course  he'd  be  down  there.  Who 
is  it  ?  " 

"  Fayette.     Maybe  you  know  him  as  '  Bony.'  " 

"The  half-wit?  Pshaw,  Miss.  Don't  look  that 
frightened.  He's  all  safe,  never  fear.  Nothing  hurts 
him.  The  Lord  looks  after  him.  I'm  afraid  this  rope 
won't  hold,  it's  so  old.  Wait,  I'll  go,  too.  Never  mind 
the  children,  they'll  have  to  take  care  of  themselves." 

All  the  while  she  was  talking  the  kindly  woman  had 
been  rolling  the  line,  retying  it  where  their  haste  broke 
its  worn  strands,  and  following  Amy  up  over  the  slope. 
Now  she  paused  for  one  second  to  remonstrate:  — 

"  You,  Victoria,  go  back  !  There's  William  Gladstone 
trying  to  creep  after  us.  Beatrice,  Belinda,  go  home. 
You  mustn't  follow  mother  every  time  she  turns  her 
back!  Go  home,  I  tell  you.  Go  —  right  —  straight 
—  back  —  home.  My  !  but  this  is  steep  !  " 

A  shriek,  shrill  and  piercing  as  only  infant  lungs 
could  utter,  made  even  Amy  stop,  eager  though  she 


108  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

was  to  reach  the  well  where  poor  "  Bony "  might 
already  have  breathed  his  last.  The  one  backward 
glance  she  cast  showed  the  numerous  children  of  the 
house  of  Jones  toiling  industriously  skyward,  in  their 
mother's  footsteps.  Victoria,  who  was  "  eight  and  should 
have  known  better,"  had  left  William  Gladstone  to  take 
care  of  himself,  with  the  result  that,  being  less  than  two 
years  old  and  rather  unsteady  on  his  legs,  he  had 
toddled  up  to  the  biggest  stone  in  the  path,  tried  to 
step  over  it,  lost  his  balance,  and  fallen.  The  hill  was 
so  steep  that  once  the  fat  little  fellow  began  to  roll 
downwards  he  could  not  stop,  and  the  terrified  outcry 
first  showed  the  mother  his  danger. 

"  He'll  bump  his  head  against  a  rock  and  —  " 

Mrs.  Jones  did  not  finish  her  sentence,  but  faced 
about  and  ran  frantically  down  the  slope,  catching  up 
her  baby  and  smothering  it  with  kisses,  although  she 
had  assured  the  little  fellow,  at  least  a  dozen  times  that 
day,  that  "he  was  the  very  plague  of  her  life."  She 
had  dropped  the  rope,  and  Amy  caught  it,  then  turned 
and  ran  as  fast  upward  as  her  neighbor  was  going  in 
the  other  direction.  Behind  Amy  still  followed  Vic- 
toria, Beatrice,  and  Belinda. 

"You  should  go  back.  Your  little  brother's  hurt," 
shouted  she. 

"Yes'm.  He  is  often,"  coolly  replied  Victoria,  who 
could  have  the  minor  excitement  of  examining  the 
baby's  bruises  any  day,  but  who  did  not  intend  to  lose 


THE    WATERLOO    OF    BONAPARTE    LAFAYETTE.        lOQ 

the  greater  one  of  "  a  man  down  the  well  "  for  any 
commonplace  home  matter. 

Just  before  she  came  to  the  crest  of  the  knoll  Amy 
hesitated,  and  stood  still.  It  seemed  to  her  she  could 
not  go  on  and  face  the  possible,  even  probable,  tragedy 
at  the  top,  and  into  the  midst  of  her  awestruck  waiting 
there  was  hurled  this  startling  question  :  — 

"  Say,  miss,  where  do  you  s'pose  you'll  have  the 
funeral  ?  May  I  come  ?  " 

"  Ugh  !     Oh,  you  horrid  little  thing  !  " 

Victoria  appeared  so  amazed  at  the  effect  of  her 
inquiry  that  she  stared  back  into  Amy's  face,  wide- 
eyed  and  open-mouthed. 

"Wh-h  —  why!" 

"  I  shouldn't  have  said  that.  But  you  go  right 
straight  back  home.  Your  mother  wants  you.  I 
don't.  Oh,  dear!  How  could  you  say  it?" 

"  Why,  'cause  I  like  to  go  to  funerals.  I  go  to  every 
one  Ma  does.  She's  got  a  real  nice  'funeral  dress/ 
an'  so  have  I." 

Amy  fled.  She  had  never  seen  anything  like  little 
Victoria,  and  she  was  so  indignant  that  she  almost  for- 
got her  dread  of  what  might  lie  before  her.  She 
reached  the  group  about  the  well,  who  were  now 
utterly  silent,  and  seemed  to  be  watching  with  more 
astonishment  than  terror  something  happening  within 
it. 

Amy,  also,  stretched  her  neck  to  see,  though   she 


IIO  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

shut  her  eyes,  and  this  naturally  prevented;  nor  did 
she  open  them  till  she  felt  Cleena  clutch  the  skirt  of 
her  frock  and  heard  her  exclaim  :  — 

"  Faith,  but  he's  the  biggest  monkey  out  o'  the 
Zoo  !  Arrah  musha  !  I'll  teach  him  scaring  folks  out  o' 
their  wits,  an'  wastin'  good  bedclothes  on  such  havers ! 
Huh!" 

For  this  was  the  marvel  that  now  presented.  Poor, 
silly  Fayette,  looking  more  foolish  and  grotesque  than 
ever,  climbing  upwards  into  the  daylight,  blinking  and 
sputtering,  his  back  against  the  stones  of  one  side  the 
shaft,  his  feet  against  the  other,  his  hands  clutching, 
pulling ;  both  feet  and  hands  almost  prehensile,  like 
the  creature's  to  which  Cleena  had  likened  him,  yet 
safe,  unbruised,  and  only  mud-splashed  and  laughing. 

With  a  final,  agile  movement  he  reached  the  top, 
threw  his  arms  about  the  beam,  and  leaped  to  the 
ground  beside  them.  Then  he  laughed  again,  hilari- 
ously, uproariously,  and  not  for  long. 

In  Cleena  Keegan's  indignant  soul  a  plan  had  been 
rapidly  forming. 

"  So  you'd  be  givin'  us  all  the  terrors,  would  ye, 
avick  ?  Sure,  a  taste  o'  the  same  medicine's  good  for 
the  doctor  as  his  patient.  I'll  just  give  ye  a  try  of  it, 
an'  see  what  ye  say.  Hmm,  them  sheets  might  ha' 
lasted  for  years,  so  they  might;  an'  them  blankets, 
my  heart ! " 

Before  anybody,  least  of  all  the  astonished  "  Bony," 


THE    WATERLOO    OF    BONAPARTE    LAFAYETTE.       Ill 

could  comprehend  what  she  would  be  about,  Cleena 
had  tripped  and  thrown  the  lad  to  the  ground.  She 
was  more  powerful  than  even  his  boasted  muscle,  and 
he  quite  unprepared  for  what  she  meant  to  do.  The 
life-line  made  from  her  cherished  bedclothing  was 
twisted  about  his  wet  shoulders  like  a  flash.  Yet  there 
seemed  nothing  violent  nor  vindictive  as  she  rolled  him 
over  and  over,  wisely  winding  and  binding  first  his 
hands  and  feet.  After  that  the  punishment  she  ad- 
ministered was  but  a  question  of  endurance  on  her 
part,  and  the  length  of  the  line. 

"  There,  you  blatherskite !  What's  your  guardian 
angel  thinkin'  of  ye  the  now,  you  poor,  ignorant, 
heathen  gossoon  ?  Well  for  ye  that  old  Cleena  has  met 
up  with  ye  to  beat  some  bits  o'  sense  into  your  idle  pate. 
Tight,  is  it  ?  Well,  not  so  tight  as  the  bands  o'  me 
heart  when  I  looked  to  see  ye  brought  up  to  me  dead. 
'Twon't  hurt.  Lie  there  an'  rest." 

Cleena  finished  her  harangue  and  her  task  together. 
After  that  she  stood  up  straight  and  strong,  and  re- 
garded the  teamster  with  a  questioning  eye. 

"Is  it  true,  what  he  says,  that  he's  nor  kith  nor  kin, 
hereabouts  ? " 

"  I  guess  it's  true, "  answered  John,  laughing  at  the 
ludicrous  appearance  of  Fayette  upon  the  ground. 
"He  was  born  in  the  poorhouse,  an'  I've  heard  his 
mother  died.  His  father  had  before  then,  I  know.  I 
used  —  " 


H2  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

Cleena  was  in  no  mood  for  long  stories,  and  she  fore- 
saw that  one  was  imminent.  She  interrupted  without 
ceremony :  — 

"  So,  if  I  take  him  in  hand  to  train  him  a  bit,  what 
for  no  ?  There'll  be  no  one  botherin'  an'  interferin',  is 
it  ? " 

"  I  guess  there  won't  anybody  worry  about  '  Bony.' 
He's  right  handy  around  the  mill,  an'  he  does  odd  jobs 
for  a  many  people  ;  but  if  you  want  him,  I  'low  you  can 
have  him  '  for  a  song.'  " 

"  I'll  have  no  song  singin',  not  I,  nor  from  him.  But 
if  I  don't  make  a  smart,  decent  lad  where  there  lies 
a  fool,  my  name  isn't  Cleena  Keegan,  the  day.  Now 
what's  about  the  well  ?  " 

"  That's  what  I  want  to  know,  Cleena,"  cried  Amy. 
"  How  did  he,  could  he,  fall  into  it  and  climb  out  of  it 
alive?" 

"  Easier  than  you  think,  miss.  He  slid  down  the 
rope  as  far  as  it  went,  I  suppose,  then  caught  his  feet 
in  the  stones  of  the  sides,  then  his  hands,  and  went 
down  just  as  he  came  up.  He  didn't  go  into  the  water 
in  the  bottom,  of  course ;  but  he's  proved  that  the  well 
is  safe  enough,  and  to-morrow  morning  he  ought  to  be 
made  to  go  down,  properly  fixed,  with  a  rope  around  his 
waist  and  the  tackle  for  bailing  it  out.  It'll  be  a  job, 
then,  even  after  to-day's  beginning.  But  I'll  tell  the 
boss  about  it,  and  I  don't  doubt  he'll  send  the  other 
man  that  helps  '  Bony '  in  the  mill  village,  and  get 


THE    WATERLOO    OF    BONAPARTE    LAFAYETTE.        113 

things  right  this  time.  What  say,  boy  ?  Think  you'll 
take  matters  a  little  soberer  to-morrow,  if  I  come  back 
to  help  ? " 

Fayette  lay  with  closed  eyes  and  made  no  answer, 
but  Cleena  spoke  for  him,  and  as  one  in  authority :  — 

"  Faith  an'  he  will.  An'  I'm  thankin'  ye,  sir,  for  all 
ye've  done  the  day.  Sure,  by  this  hour  to-morrow,  we 
should  begin  to  see  daylight  'twixt  the  dirt." 

"  I  'low  you  will.  You're  a  master  scrubber,  and  no 
mistake.  Well,  good-by.  Anything  I  can  do  for  you 
village  way  ? " 

"  I'm  beholden  to  you,  sir,  an'  so  are  my  folks,  but 
there's  not.  I'm  for  sending  the  childer  down  on  their 
donkeys  to  see  how  fares  the  mistress  an'  master  ;  an' 
they'll  fetch  back  what's  lackin'  o'  food  an'  so  on,  when 
they  come.  It's  hungerin'  sore  will  the  sweet  lady  be 
for  a  sight  of  her  own." 

"Oh,  Cleena,  is  that  so?  May  we  go?  But  —  that 
will  leave  you  quite  alone,"  said  Amy. 

Hallam  smiled.  "  She'll  not  be  so  very  much  alone, 
after  all,  dear,"  and  he  nodded  significantly  toward  the 
still  apparently  sleeping  Fayette. 

Then  they  went  away  to  saddle  the  burros,  and 
after  having  received  a  mysterious  message  which 
they  were  to  deliver  to  Adam  Burn,  to  the  effect 
that  "he'll  know  what  to  send  o'  them  things  in  his 
box." 

"  And  it's  as  clear  as  the  sunshine  just  what  you  are 


114  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

asking,  dear  old  Gooclsoul.  That  Friend  Adam  shall 
give  us  your  dollars  out  of  his  box.  You  transparent 
old  pretender!  Well,  never  mind,  Scrubbub.  Some 
day  our  ships  will  come  home,  and  then  —  you  shall 
live  in  lavender,"  said  Amy,  hugging  the  faithful 
woman,  and  smiling,  though  tears  of  gratitude  were  in 
her  dark  eyes. 

Which  eyes,  happening  to  look  downward,  saw  Fay- 
ette's  own  half  open,  and  watching  this  little  affection- 
ate by-play  with  deep  interest.  No  sooner,  however, 
did  he  perceive  that  Amy  had  discovered  this  fact  than 
his  lids  went  down  with  a  snap. 

"  Ah,  ha,  Fayette !  I  saw  you.  I'm  sorry  for  you, 
but  just  you  tell  Goodsoul,  here,  that  you'll  remember 
not  to  shame  your  'guardian  angel'  any  more,  and 
she'll  let  you  up.  I  know  her.  Her  heart's  made  of 
honey  and  sugar,  and  everything  soft  and  sticky.  I 
believe  she's  caught  you  in  it,  now,  bad  as  you  are,  and 
if  she  has,  you'll  never  get  quite  clear  of  her  love  and 
too  demonstrative  kindness." 

Then  she  cried  to  Hallam,  who  was  limping  toward 
the  tethered  burros :  "  Now  for  a  race.  These  dear 
little  beasties  would  trot  a  good  pace  if  they  realized 
they  were  on  the  road  to  mother  and  father  and  Friend 
Adam  Burn's  big  oat-bin  !  " 

As  they  passed  through  the  gateless  entrance  to 
"  Bareacre,"  Hallam  turned,  and  with  something  of 
Amy's  cheerfulness  waved  his  hand  to  Cleena. 


THE    WATERLOO    OF    BONAPARTE    LAFAYETTE.       1 15 

"  We'll  be  back  before  dark,  Goodsoul.  Don't  keep 
that  lad  tied  any  longer.  Don't." 

"Arrah  musha !  Can't  I  do  what  I  will  with  me 
own  ?  There's  somewhat  to  pass  'twixt  him  an'  me 
afore  he  gets  free  o'  them  bonds." 

Evidently,  there  was ;  nor  was  she  sorry  to  see  all  go 
and  leave  her  alone  with  Fayette.  Of  what  occurred 
during  their  brief  absence  at  the  Clove,  nobody  ever 
heard;  but  when  the  brother  and  sister  rode  up  the 
slope,  just  as  the  evening  fell,  Fayette  appeared  to  meet 
them  and  take  their  burros  for  them.  His  manner  was 
subdued  and  gentle,  and  on  his  homely  face  was  a  look 
of  exceeding  peace. 

Amy  nudged  Hallam  mischievously.  "  Another  lull 
before  another  storm,  isn't  it  ?  " 

Hallam  regarded  the  half-wit  critically.  "  No.  But 
I  think  he's  '  met  his  Waterloo.'  " 

"  Oh,  is  that  what  we  are  to  call  her  in  future  ? 
She's  already  as  many  names  as  a  Spanish  princess." 
Then  she  lifted  her  voice  to  summon  Cleena. 

"  Heigho,  '  Waterloo  ' !  Father  and  mother  are  doing 
finely,  and  send  love,  and  dear  old  Adam  sent  some- 
thing much  more  substantial,  but  not  what  you  asked 
for.  Just  plain  beefsteak  and  potatoes,  and  a  jolly 
chicken  pie  that's  in  a  basket  on  Hallam's  crutch. 
Those  crutches  are  the  handiest  things !  " 

"  Faith,  so  they  be.  An'  there's  a  fire  out  of  some 
wood  the  cottage  woman  sent,  an'  the  steak'll  broil 


I  1 6  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

while  the  taties  roast,  like  the  whisk  of  a  squirrel  in  the 
tree." 

So  "  Waterloo "  became  another  of  good  Cleena's 
"  love  names."  For  it's  ever  the  tone  and  not  the 
words  that  makes  a  sweet  sound  in  one's  ears,  and  the 
woman's  heart  thrilled,  and  her  weary  shoulders  lifted 
because  of  the  love  which  sang  through  Amy's  inno- 
cent jest. 


CHAPTER   X. 

HOME-MAKING. 

FOR  one  whole  week  the  artist  and  his  wife  remained 
.  at  the  Clove.  During  that  time  "  Spite  House  "  had 
undergone  the  most  thorough  cleaning  and  overhauling 
of  its  existence.  The  walls  had  been  scraped  of  the 
ancient  and  discolored  whitewash  that  covered  them, 
and  a  fresh  coat  of  sweet-smelling  lime  applied. 

"  It's  like  a  new-mown  field,  I  think,"  said  Amy,  on 
the  day  that  this  whitewashing  had  taken  place,  to 
Fayette  who  was  artisan  in  chief  —  always  under 
Cleena's  orders. 

"  An'  I  must  be  the  daisy  that  grows  in  it,"  he  re- 
turned, catching  a  glimpse  of  his  lime-splashed  face  in 
the  tiny  pocket  mirror  he  always  carried. 

"A  whole  bunch  of  daisies,  indeed.  But  isn't  it 
jolly  ?  I  never  did  so  much  hard  work  in  my  life  ;  my 
hands  are  all  blistered  and  sore,  my  feet  ache  —  whew ! 
And  I  never,  never  was  so  happy." 

Fayette  paused  midway  to  the  shed,  which  he  had 
repaired  with  bits  of  boards,  begged  or  offered  in 
various  sources.  The  whitewash  brush  over  his  shoul- 
der dripped  a  milky  fluid  upon  his  bared  head,  and 
n; 


U8  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

occasionally  a  drop  trickled  as  far  as  the  corner  of  his 
capacious  mouth. 

But  he  minded  nothing  so  trivial  as  this,  and  he 
stared  at  Amy  in  the  same  wonderment  with  which  he 
had  regarded  her  from  the  beginning  of  their  acquaint- 
ance. She  also  paused  and  returned  his  gaze  with  an 
amused  scrutiny. 

"Fayette,  that  stare  of  yours  is  getting  chronic.  I 
wish  you'd  give  it  up.  Everything  I  do  or  say  seems 
to  astonish  you.  What's  the  matter  with  me  ?  Am  I 
not  like  other  girls?  You  must  know  many  down  at 
the  mill." 

"  No,  you  ain't." 

"  How  different  ?     I'd  really  like  to  know." 

"  Ain't  seen  you  cry  once,  —  or  not  more  'n  once,"  he 
corrected  truthfully.  "  An'  you  left  all  them  things  up 
there,  an'  the  trees,  an'  the  posies,  an'  everything  like 
that  way." 

For  one  moment  Amy's  breast  heaved  and  her  voice 
choked.  Then  she  jerked  her  head  in  a  fashion  she 
had  when  she  wished  to  throw  aside  unpleasant  things 
and  replied :  — 

"  What  would  be  the  use  of  crying  ?  If  it  would 
bring  them  all  back,  I'd  cry  a  bath-tub  full.  But  it  won't. 
Thinking  about  it  only  makes  it  worse.  //  had  to  be, 
and  in  some  ways  I'm  thankful  it  did.  It  was  all  unreal 
and  dreamlike  up  there.  I  knew  nothing  about  the 
sorrows  and  hardships  in  the  real  world.  But  how  I 


HOME-MAKING.  IIQ 

am  talking !  I  wonder,  do  you  understand  at  all  what 
I  have  said  ?  " 

"  I  couldn't  help  cryin'  when  the  bluebird's  nest  fell 
an'  smashed  all  the  eggs,"  remarked  Fayette,  whim- 
pering at  the  recollection.  His  words  were  "like  a 
bit  of  blue  sky,  showing  through  a  cloud,"  as  the  girl 
often  expressed  it,  when  the  untaught  lad  revealed 
something  of  his  intense  love  of  nature,  so  strongly  in 
contrast  to  his  otherwise  limited  intelligence. 

"  Well,  we  must  forget  what's  past  and  go  to  work. 
I'll  tether  the  burros  out  of  the  roadside  while  you 
clean  up  their  shed ;  and  when  they  come  back  to  find 
it  all  sweet  and  white,  like  Pepita  herself,  they'll  be  as 
pleased  as  Punch.  Wonder  we  never  thought  of  having 
the  old  stable  at  Fairacres  whitewashed." 

"  Didn't  have  me,  then,"  answered  the  lad. 

"  Fayette,  you're  as  vain  as  a  peacock.  You  always 
say  '  ME '  as  if  it  were  spelled  with  the  biggest  kind  of 
capital  letters." 

"  Do  I  ?  Hmm,"  responded  Fayette,  with  a  vacant 
smile. 

Then  Amy  went  into  the  house  where  Hallam  and 
Cleena  were  arguing  about  what"  rooms  should  be 
arranged  for  the  personal  use  of  master  and  mistress, 
because  Hallam  thought  his  father's  likes  and  habits 
should  take  precedence  of  all  others. 

During  this  time  of  separation  from  him,  the  son  had 
grown  to  think  of  his  parent  as  a  whimsical  invalid, 


I2Q  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

only.  Oddly  enough,  with  his  own  physical  infirmity, 
he  had  come  to  look  upon  any  bodily  weakness  of  other 
lads  or  men  as  something  almost  degrading.  He  had 
always  felt  himself  disgraced  by  his  own  lameness. 
It  was  this  which  had  given  him  so  bitter  and  distorted 
an  outlook  upon  life,  and  involuntarily  there  had  crept 
into  his  love  for  his  father  a  feeling  of  contempt  as 
well. 

Something  of  this  showed  in  his  talk  with  his  sister, 
over  this  selection  of  rooms,  and  shocked  her.  Then, 
with  loyal  indignation  she  proceeded  to  enlighten  him 
as  to  her  own  view  of  the  subject. 

"  Now,  see  here,  Hallam  Kaye.  I  don't  believe,  I 
can't  believe,  and  I  never  will  believe  that  from  being 
a  brilliant  scholar  and  a  wonderfully  talented  artist  my 
darling  father  has  suddenly  become  a  —  a  —  the  sickly, 
selfish  man  you  seem  to  imagine." 

"  Amy !  I  never  said  that.  I  never  thought  it.  I 
only  remember  that  he  has  always  had  the  best  of 
everything,  and  I  supposed  he  always  should." 

The  tears  of  excited  protest  rushed  into  her  eyes,  but 
she  dashed  them  away.  "  Queer,  I  never  cry,  hardly 
ever,  unless  I'm  mad.  I  am  mad  at  you,  Hal  Kaye, 
right  straight  clear  through.  You  wait  and  see  how 
father  is,  after  this  trouble.  All  his  life  he  has  been 
petted  by  mother,  who  adores  him  ;  and  that  not  too 
agreeable  cousin  Archibald  said  the  truth  about  his 
having  had  so  easy  a  path  all  his  life.  I  tell  you  it 


HOME-MAKING.  121 

isn't  for  his  children  to  sit  here  in  judgment  upon  him, 
nor  criticise  anything  he  does  ;  but  one  thing  I  believe, 
he's  had  a  good  hard  waking  up.  He  hasn't  realized 
the  truth.  How  should  he  ?  Mother  has  always  smiled 
and  smiled  and  seen  to  everything.  He  was  a  genius. 
He  was  never  to  be  disturbed.  He  never  has  been. 
Not  till  now.  Now  he  has  been  tumbled  off  his  cushions 
whack  !  and  presently  he'll  get  up  —  all  right." 

"  Whe-e-ew  !  You  don't  mince  matters  in  speaking 
of  your  relatives,  do  you,  sweet  sister  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit.  Just  you  wait.  All  the  histories  we've 
ever  read,  all  the  tales  we've  ever  heard,  of  gentlemen 
and  gentlewomen,  'aristocrats,'  who  have  had  to  suffer 
anything  dreadful,  show  that  they  have  borne  the 
troubles  as  no  meaner  person  could.  The  good  there 
is  in  being  of  'family,'  it  seems  to  me,  is  the  self-respect 
that  holds  us  upright,  no  matter  what  blows  are  dealt." 

Again  Hallam  blew  a  long  note.  But  he  looked  at 
his  excited  little  sister  with  a  new  admiration. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Amy,  my  dear,  you  are  positively 
eloquent.  Who  knows  but  you  may  one  day  take  to 
the  'stump,'  become  a  public  orator,  and  lecture,  to  fill 
the  coffers  of  that  'family'  of  which  you  are  so  proud." 

"  No,  thank  you.  I  don't  need  to  go  abroad  to  lec- 
ture. I  find  enough  subjects  right  in  my  own  house- 
hold. Between  you  and  '  Bony '  and  Miss  Scrubbub 
my  life's  a  burden  to  me.  Now  hear  me,  both  of  you  ; 
for  in  the  language  of  '  Bonaparty  Gineral  Lafayette,' 


I22  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

'there  ain't  none  o'  ye  got  no  sense  'cept  me/  and 
'me'  says:  Fix  up  the  north  chamber  for  a  studio. 
Put  all  father's  things  in  there.  Fix  the  middle  room, 
which  faces  east  and  the  sunrise,  for  a  bedroom ;  and 
this  warm  southwestern  one  for  a  private  sitting  room, 
for  mother  darling,  where  she  can  retreat  to  think  upon 
her  husband's  greatness  and  her  children's  folly;  and 
where  the  sweet  blessed  thing  will  never  be  alone  one 
single  minute,  unless  every  other  member  of  the  family 
is  sound  asleep.  So  that's  for  the  '  retreating '  of  Friend 
Salome  Kaye.  Oh,  that  she  were  here  this  minute  ! 
that  I  could  hug  the  heart  right  out  of  her  !  Fly  around, 
Amy,  '  an'  set  the  house  to  one  side,'  a  la  Friend  Adam's 
old  housekeeper." 

It  was  wonderful  what  four  pairs  of  arms  could 
accomplish  when  love  actuated  them.  "  Spite  House  " 
had  seemed  hopelessly  bare  and  dirty  when  the  little 
household  first  entered  it,  but  it  was  far  from  that  by 
the  end  of  a  week's  stay.  Bare  and  bleak  and  unadorned 
it  was  still,  and  the  surroundings  seemed  to  forbid  that 
it  would  ever  be  any  better.  But  there  was  not  an  inch 
of  its  surface,  outside  or  in,  that  had  not  been  cleaned 
and  polished,  by  scrubbing  or  whitewash  brush.  Even 
the  moss-grown  roof  had  been  swept  by  Fayette,  stand- 
ing barefooted  and  unsupported  on  the  sloping  shingles, 
while  he  vigorously  attacked  them.  To  Hallam  this 
seemed  a  desecration.  The  moss  had  been  the  one 
redeeming  feature  of  the  roof's  ugliness. 


HOME-MAKING.  123 

"  Saints  save  us !  If  we  leave  go  that  muck  up  yon, 
it'll  be  like  me  dressin'  for  mass  an'  no  rackin'  down 
me  hair,  so  it  would.  No,  Master  Hal,  if  riches  we 
can't  have,  cleanness  we  can.  An'  that's  aye  more 
pleasin'  to  God." 

The  plain,  strong  furniture  which  had  been  in  the 
house  had  been  placed  to  best  advantage ;  and  in  the 
parents'  rooms  above,  as  well  as  the  one  family  living 
room  below,  were  gathered  all  that  had  been  brought 
from  dear  Fairacres. 

A  load  of  wood  and  another  of  coal,  which  Cleena 
supposed  had  been  sent  by  Friend  Adam  and  paid  for 
with  her  money,  gave  a  comfortable  look  to  the  wood- 
shed, and  in  the  storeroom  was  a  bag  of  flour,  a  side 
of  bacon,  a  fair  supply  of  vegetables,  and  a  barrel  of 
apples.  These  the  village  grocer's  lad  had  brought  in 
his  delivery  wagon,  and  it  was  useless  to  ask  him  by 
whose  order.  Since  they  were  needed,  however,  it  was 
well  to  take  them  in  and  to  consider  them  as  belonging 
with  the  wood  and  coal. 

Finally,  the  Saturday  afternoon  arrived  on  which  Hal- 
lam  and  Amy  were  to  go  to  the  Clove,  to  pass  First  Day 
with  Adam  Burn  and  their  parents,  returning  before 
nightfall  with  the  latter,  to  begin  their  reunited  family 
life. 

Dressed  in  their  freshest  clothes,  upon  Balaam  and 
Pepita,  groomed  by  the  willing  hands  of  Fayette,  they 
journeyed  gayly  down  the  slope  over  the  familiar  road, 


124 


REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 


eager  for  their  visit  and  the  warm  welcome  awaiting 
them. 

"Do  you  know,  Amy,  it's  queer  that  we've  never 
been  about  alone  much,  even  on  these  country  roads, 
till  now  ?  Losing  our  home  seems  to  have  broken  down 
ever  so  many  restrictions." 

"  Well,  don't  you  like  it  ?  Doesn't  it  make  you  feel 
freer  and  healthier  ?  " 

"  Maybe.  I'm  not  enthusiastic  over  our  poverty.  I'd 
be  glad  enough  to  go  back  to  Fairacres." 

"So  would  I,  if  we  could  live  there  honestly.  I 
wouldn't  go,  not  for  one  clay,  if  I  could  help  it,  to 
live  in  debt  as  we  did." 

"Aren't  we  living  in  debt  just  the  same  now,  and 
much  more  uncomfortably  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so ;  though  it's  different.  This  time 
it  isn't  going  to  last,  and  we  haven't  shut  our  eyes 
to  it." 

"Why  isn't  it  going  to  last?  How  can  we  stop  it? 
I  see  nothing  ahead  except  starvation." 

"  Hallam  Kaye,  the  very  first  thing  you  ought  to  learn 
is  to  be  cheerful.  You  don't  want  to  be  a  dead  weight 
on  anybody,  do  you  ?  Well,  you  will  be  if  you  can't 
look  ahead  at  all  to  anything  bright.  You  and  I  are 
going  to  work  and  mend  the  family  fortunes.  Then 
we're  going  back  to  Fairacres  and  do  all  the  good  we 
can  with  the  money  we've  earned." 
"  If  I  were  sound  —  " 


HOME-MAKING.  125 

"  And  sensible,  you'd  race  me  again  to  the  gate  of 
the  Clove." 

Burnside-in-the-Clove  was  a  bonny  place.  The 
"burn,"  from  which  the  farm  took  its  name  almost 
as  much  as  from  the  family  which  had  dwelt  there 
for  generations,  ran  through  the  velvet  lawn  and  was 
spanned  by  a  rustic  bridge  where  the  well  kept  drive- 
way curved  toward  the  roomy  house. 

"  Oh !  it's  so  lovely  here.  The  many,  many  windows, 
each  more  cheery  and  inviting  than  its  neighbor;  the 
old-fashioned  door,  opened  almost  all  the  time ;  the 
hammocks,  the  benches,  the  flowers,  the  cool,  sweet 
dairy  —  this  is  a  home.  I  guess  I'll  make  ours  here 
instead  of  at  Fairacres,  after  all,"  laughed  Amy,  as 
they  paced  sedately  over  the  gravel,  the  better  to  enjoy 
the  scene,  and  now  that  they  had  arrived,  in  no  such 
haste  for  the  meeting  with  their  people. 

"  I  like  to  go  slowly  now,  don't  you,  Hal  ?  Because 
that  makes  the  pleasure  '  long-drawn  out '  and  all  the 
sweeter.  In  a  minute  mother's  face  will  be  in  the  door- 
way, with  father  looking  over  her  shoulder.  "Friend 
Adam,  blessed  man,  will  hobble  after,  if  he  is  not  too 
lame;  and  then  we  shall  jump  off  and  the  'man'  will 
take  the  burros,  and  we  will  go  in  and  hug  everybody 
all  round,  and  eat  the  biggest  kind  of  a  supper  —  living 
on  dry  bread  and  milk  two  meals  a  day  can  give  an  ap- 
petite !  And  then  one  of  dear  old  Adam's  '  Spirit '  talks ; 
and  bed  and  sleep,  and  breakfast  and  meeting,  and  —  " 


126  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  '  Spite  House ' !  " 

"No,  Hallam,  truly  not.  Our  mother  couldn't  live 
in  such  a  place.  To-morrow  a  new  life  will  begin  on 
the  barren  knoll.  'Charity  House"  she  will  have  it, 
and  wherever  our  mother  goes,  softness  and  kindness 
and  loveliness  are  sure  to  follow." 

"Yes,  that  is  so,"  answered  the  cripple,  thought- 
fully. "Well,  hear  me,  Amy.  I  guess  I  have  been 
about  as  much  of  a  wet  blanket  as  I  could  be,  but  I'm 
going  to  try  my  very  hardest  to  make  things  easy  for 
father  and  mother.  Just  now,  as  we  rode  down  the 
valley  into  all  this  peace  and  quiet,  I  seemed  to  see  myself 
exactly  as  I  am.  Heigho !  but  look  how  green  the  grass 
is  still,  late  in  the  year  as  it  is,  and  how  beautiful  the 
vines  on  the  stone  walls.  The  maples  are  like  a  golden 
glory.  My  father  must  have  been  wonderfully  soothed 
by  so  much  loveliness  about  him,  though  he's  going 
to  feel  it  all  the  —  " 

"  Take  care,  Sir  Optimist,  that  is  to  be.  You're  tak- 
ing the  wrong  turn,  comrade.  Come  away  from  the 
down  to  'has  been,'  and  climb  to  'will  be,'  short 
metre." 

It  was  all  as  they  said.  The  mother's  gentle  face  in 
the  doorway,  looking  rested  and  less  faded  for  the  week 
passed  in  the  society  of  a  simple,  noble  man;  the 
father's  gay  and  debonair,  as  Amy  remembered  it  — 
how  long  ago,  was  it  ?  And  last  of  all  Friend  Adam,  in 
gray  attire,  his  broadbrim  crowning  his  snowy  hair,  his 


HOME-MAKING.  12? 

expression  one  of  childlike  happiness  and  freedom  from 
care. 

He  welcomed  them  both  with  all  heartiness,  but  Amy 
was  dearest.  She  had  always  been,  perhaps  because 
she  bore  the  name  of  his  long  dead  wife,  and  had  always 
seemed  to  stand  as  a  child  to  his  childless  life. 

So  after  the  fine  supper  was  over,  while  before  a 
blazing  fire  in  another  room  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kaye  dis- 
cussed with  Hallam  all  the  events  of  the  past  week, 
Amy  and  the  old  man  who  had  lived  for  more  than 
eighty  years  a  blameless,  helpful  life  sat  by  a  window  in 
another  place  and  looked  out  into  the  moonlight  saying 
little,  but  enjoying  all. 

"  Dear  father  Adam,  shall  I  tell  thee  "  —  for  with  him 
she  always  drifted  into  the  sweet  speech  which  was  hers 
by  birthright  and  his  for  all  his  life  —  "shall  I  tell  thee 
how  it  seems  to  me,  as  if  thee  had  learned  every 
single  lesson  life  and  God  has  had  to  teach.  Thee  has 
had  poverty  and  sorrow,  and  endured  the  wrong  that 
others  have  done  thee.  Thee  has  seen  thy  kindred  go 
away  and  leave  thee  alone.  It  is  just  like  a  good  sol- 
dier who  has  been  in  a  thick  fight  and  a  sailor  who  has 
swam  in  deep  waters,  but  has  come  out  safe  on  the 
other  side.  Thee  is  so  calm  and  happy,  like  Mrs.  Jones's 
little  Belinda,  who  sits  in  the  sun  and  sings  and  croons 
to  herself,  with  never  a  plaything  or  anything  good 
about  her  except  her  own  serene  happiness.  Isn't  it  ?  " 

"Maybe,  child.     It  may  be.     It  should  be,  certainly. 


128  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

There  should  be  no  care  in  either  extreme  of  life. 
Both  ends  are  so  close  to  the  Father's  house. 

"  Thee  is  right  though,  about  the  middle  of  life,  little 
Amy.  It  is  a  time  of  struggle  and  rebuff." 

"  But  to-night  it  seems  as  if  it  could  never  have  been 
so  with  thee.  Tell  me,  father  Adam,  how  thee  has  kept 
thyself  so  simple  and  good." 

"  Nay,  little  one,  not  that.  Simple,  indeed,  but  not 
good.  There  is  none  good  but  One.  Yet  there  are 
certain  things  that  help.  I'll  tell  thee  what  has  helped 
me  most,  that  is,  in  my  daily  life  in  the  world,  from 
which  we  can  never  escape  while  the  heart  beats." 

The  dear  old  man  rose,  limped  toward  an  ancient 
secretary,  and  took  from  it  a  small  book.  Just  an  ordi- 
nary account  book,  ruled  for  the  keeping  of  small  affairs, 
but  arranged  with  every  page  inscribed  by  the  trembling 
fingers  of  this  all-thoughtful  friend. 

"  I  have  been  thinking  what  a  muddle  it  would  be  to 
thee,  Amy,  and  I  fixed  this  for  thee.  On  one  side  is 
the  debt  and  the  other  side  the  credit.  Thee  will  have 
to  keep  the  reckonings  for  thy  family,  I  foresee ;  for 
thee  is  practical.  Look.  Is  the  light  sufficient  ? " 

Amy  held  the  little  volume  so  that  the  rays  of  the 
harvest  moon  fell  clearly  over  them,  and  the  old,  quaint 
script  was  as  legible  as  copperplate.  She  questioned, 
and  he  explained  just  how  the  book  should  be  kept,  and 
she  found  his  "system"  exceeding  plain  and  direct,  as 
was  everything  about  him.  But  there  were  two  legends 


HOME-MAKING.  129 

inscribed  upon  the  covers  which  had  little  in  common 
with  the  figuring  to  be  done  between  them,  —  or  so  Amy 
thought ;  and  when  she  asked  him  what  they  meant,  he 
quietly  explained  :  — 

"  They  have  been  my  rules  of  life,  Amy,  and  I  think 
it  would  be  well  for  thee  if  thee  also  adopted  them. 
They  are  short  and  easy  to  remember,  but  they  cover  all. 
1  Simplicity,  Sincerity,  Sympathy,'  on  the  front  page ; 
and  on  the  last,  when  the  first  rule  seems  sometimes  to 
fail  and  the  heart  needs  cheer,  there  is  this  other : 
1  Love  is  all  powerful.'  " 

"Thank  thee,  dear  Adam,  so  much.  Not  only  for  the 
book  and  the  help  it  will  be,  but  for  the  '  Rules  '  and  — 
for  thyself.  I  will  make  them  mine,  and  thee  shall  tell 
me  if  I  am  succeeding.  Now,  I  know  thee  is  sitting  up 
beyond  thy  time.  I'll  help  thee  to  the  living  room  and 
then  to  thy  own." 

Nor  was  Amy  ever  to  forget  that  peaceful  hour  with 
this  ripe  old  Christian ;  and  she  never  again  sat  in  the 
rays  of  the  harvest  moon  without  recalling  the  lessons 
she  learned  that  night. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL. 

IT  seemed  to  Amy  that  she  had  never  remembered  so 
lovely  a  First  Day  as  that  one  at  Burnside  Farm. 
Things  happened  just  as  she  had  foretold.  Mrs-.  Kaye 
and  Adam  went  to  meeting  in  the  little  phaeton  into 
which  it  was  so  easy  for  him  to  climb,  and  Hallam 
and  she  rode  beside  it ;  for  "  Old  Shingleside,"  as  the 
meeting-house  was  called,  was  at  some  distance  from 
the  Clove.  It  crowned  a  wooded  hill-top,  and  behind  it 
lay  the  peaceful  burying-ground,  with  its  rows  of  modest 
tombstones  and  wider  rows  of  grass-covered,  unmarked 
mounds. 

The  windows  of  the  meeting-house  were  all  open, 
and  the  mild  air  came  in  and  warmed  them ;  for  as 
yet  the  plain  box  stoves  held  no  blazing  logs  within, 
and  the  rows  of  old-time  foot-stoves  reposed  securely 
upon  their  tops.  Later,  when  the  weather  turned,  these 
little  wood-rimmed,  perforated  tin  boxes  would  be  filled 
with  coals  from  the  fire  and  placed  beneath  the  feet  of 
the  elderly  folk  who  came  to  worship. 

The  girl  looked  into  her  mother's  face  and  found  it 
beaming  with  the  still  delight  of  one  whose  heart  was 
130 


THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL.  131 

deeply  moved.  She  had  always  been  a  member  of  this 
simple  congregation,  but  of  late  years  Salome  Kaye 
had  been  obliged  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  gathering 
with  it.  The  distance  from  Fairacres  was  too  great  for 
her  to  walk,  and  it  was  long  since  the  horses  and  carriages 
that  had  once  filled  Fairacres  stables  had  disappeared. 

Hallam,  also,  from  his  place  on  the  men's  side,  saw 
the  joy  in  the  face  he  loved,  and  thought :  — 

"  I  wish  mother  would  consent  to  ride  one  of  the 
burros  to  meeting,  then  she  could  come  as  often  as  she 
wished.  But  she  doesn't  think  it  decorous.  Well, 
I'm  glad  she's  having  the  comfort  to-day;  but  what  is 
Friend  Adam  saying  ?  It  sounds  like  a  farewell." 

He  shot  a  startled  glance  across  to  Amy,  among 
the  women,  and  she  responded.  Then  both  regarded 
Adam  anxiously.  He  stood  in  the  speaker's  place, 
where  he  was  always  found  in  meeting  time.  His  body 
swayed  gently  back  and  forth,  though  his  hands  rested 
upon  his  cane  as  if  he  needed  its  support.  His  voice 
fell  into  the  rhythmic  measure  to  which  they  were 
accustomed  whenever  he  became  the  mouthpiece  of  the 
Spirit,  but  his  words  were  as  of  one  who  departs  for  a 
distant  country  and  wishes  many  things  to  be  remem- 
bered. 

His  message  was  brief,  yet  delivered  with  all  the  fire 
and  eloquence  of  youth ;  but  when  he  had  finished  and 
cast  his  eyes  about  him,  something  like  a  sob  burst  from 
his  withered  lips  :  — 


132  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  It's  so  queer.  He  looks  so  happy  and  yet  so  sad. 
Well,  he's  giving  the  hand  of  greeting  to  his  neighbor, 
and  so  meeting's  over." 

There  was  no  trace  of  sadness  now.  In  the  friendly 
hand-shaking  that  became  general  was,  as  Amy  had 
seen,  the  signal  for  the  closing  of  the  meeting,  where- 
upon old  neighbors  and  friends  fell  promptly  to  giving 
and  receiving  news  of  mutual  welfare  or  trouble,  as  the 
case  might  be ;  and  after  a  while  there  was  a  driving 
away  of  vehicles,  the  nods  and  signals  of  gray  bonnets 
and  broad  brims,  until  the  while  party  from  the  Clove 
were  the  very  last  left  lingering  on  the  grass  before  the 
steps. 

"  Well,  it's  been  a  good  day,  Salome.  And  now  the 
Word  comes  :  '  For  here  we  have  no  continuing  city,  but 
seek  one  to  come.'  " 

The  old  man's  eyes  fixed  themselves  earnestly  upon 
the  weather-beaten  structure  ;  then  with  a  bright  smile 
he  turned  away  and  climbed  into  the  phaeton  which 
Amy  had  brought. 

Old  Fanny  mare  trotted  homeward  at  an  almost 
giddy  pace,  and  the  burros  did  their  utmost  to  keep 
up  with  her,  though  their  chronic  laziness  overcame 
them  at  times,  and  they  fell  behind.  After  which 
Hallam  and  Amy  would  prod  their  indolent  beasts  till 
they  had  "  made  a  spurt  and  caught  up." 

"  No  use,  children,"  laughed  Adam  Burn.  "  Fanny 
is  a  well-trained  '  Quaker.'  She  knows  meeting  days  as 


THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL.  133 

well  as  I  do,  and  she  never  fails  to  go  there  as  slowly 
as  she  returns  swiftly.  She  thinks,  if  horses  think,  and 
I  think  they  think  —  doesn't  thee  think  so,  Amy  ?  She 
thinks  she  has  done  her  duty,  and  her  conscience  is  as 
clear  as  her  stomach  is  empty.  On  meeting  days  she 
has  always  an  extra  feed.  That's  why  she  spins  along 
like  this." 

He  was  very  jolly,  and  as  full  of  fun  as  Amy  herself. 
They  found  Mr.  Kaye  pacing  the  driveway,  waiting  for 
them,  and  as  eager  for  his  dinner  as  Fanny  for  hers. 

They  were  soon  gathered  about  the  table,  and  again 
old  Adam's  jest  was  the  readiest,  his  cheerfulness  the 
most  contagious,  and  his  suggestions  the  most  practical. 

"  I  advise  thee,  Cuthbert,  to  have  a  lot  of  good  soil 
drawn  up  and  spread  over  the  top  of  Bareacre  knoll. 
Thee  can  have  the  use  of  the  team  here  till  —  for  some 
time.  There  is  plenty  of  muck  in  the  hollow,  and  I'd 
be  glad  to  have  it  cleared  out.  Then  thee  must  sow 
grass,  or  grain  and  grass  mixed,  and  Salome  can  have 
as  many  roots  and  cuttings  of  the  green  things  here  as 
she  wishes.  Get  them  all  in  this  autumn.  By  another 
spring  they  will  begin  to  grow,  and  a  little  greenery 
will  transform  the  place." 

Mrs.  Kaye  thanked  him,  but  Amy  looked  up  from 
her  dish  of  rice  pudding  and  smiled. 

"  Thee  isn't  helping  us  to  keep  the  rule  of  '  don't  run 
in  debt'  that  thee  told  me  was  so  good." 

"  Cuthbert  and  I  will  settle  that.     Eat  thy  pudding, 


134  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

child."  But  he  shook  his  head  at  her  so  merrily  she 
did  not  mind  the  rebuff. 

After  dinner  came  the  big  carryall,  with  its  back  part 
loaded  so  that  the  springs  touched,  and  with  the  "  man  " 
upon  the  front  seat,  ready  to  drive  the  Kayes  to  their 
new  home. 

"  Why,  Adam,  dear  old  friend,  this  is  too  much  ;  it 
really  is.  I  cannot  let  thee  do  it,"  protested  Mrs. 
Kaye,  astonished  at  the  sight.  For  there  were  vege- 
tables of  every  sort  that  grew  at  Burnside,  with  hams 
and  bacon,  some  very  lively  chickens,  and  baskets 
heaped  with  the  grapes  and  pears  for  which  the  Clove 
was  famous. 

"  Too  much,  Salome  ?  I  think  not.  Not  judging  by 
the  samples  of  appetites  I've  seen  this  noon.  Say  noth- 
ing. Thee  knows  how  gladly  I  give  it,  and  would  give 
much  more.  Here,  Amy,  is  a  little  letter  for  thee.  I 
wish  thee  to  keep  it  without  reading  until —  "  he  hesi- 
tated, looked  at  her  gravely,  and  finished  his  sentence 
—  "  until  thy  own  heart  tells  thee  that  the  right  time  is 
come.  For  Hallam,  too,  there  is  a  bit  of  writing,  and 
that  he  may  read  at  any  time  he  chooses." 

"That's  right  now,  then,"  laughed  the  lad,  and 
eagerly  tore  the  sealed  envelope. 

Adam  Burn  winced  a  little  at  the  ragged  edge  this 
made  on  the  paper,  for  he  was  a  careful  person  and 
hated  slovenliness.  But  he  could  not  refrain  a  smile  as 
he  saw  the  expression  of  disappointment  growing  upon 


THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL.  135 

Hallam's  face,  where  he  sat  upon  black  Balaam,  his 
crutches  crossed  before  him,  looking  down  at  the  open 
sheet  he  had  found.  The  envelope  dropped  to  the 
ground,  and  Amy  picked  it  up  ;  but  her  brother  did 
not  show  her  the  message  he  had  received,  and  she 
was  puzzled  to  hear  their  old  friend  say  :  — 

"  The  truth  which  I  have  written  there  is  better  for 
thee  than  a  fortune,  Hallam." 

"  It  may  be,  but,  under  the  circumstances,  I'd  rather 
have  the  fortune." 

"  Thee'll  find  it,  lad,  never  fear.     Thee'll  find  it." 

Amy  thrust  the  envelope  into  her  pocket,  along  with 
the  letter  Adam  had  given  her,  and  a  moment  later  they 
all  passed  out  of  the  yard,  and  turned  toward  the 
knoll  of  Bareacre.  The  last  glimpse  they  had  of  their 
friend  showed  him  standing  in  the  sunshine,  leaning 
upon  his  cane,  and  gazing  after  them  as  they  vanished 
from  his  sight. 

"  There  is  something  different  about  that  blessed  old 
man  to-day,"  said  Amy  to  Hallam,  riding  with  him 
beside  the  carryall. 

"  Well,  I  suppose  it  makes  him  feel  badly  to  know 
we  are  not  going  back  to  Fairacres.  He  always  does 
feel  other  people's  troubles  more  than  his  own." 

"  What  was  in  your  letter,  Hal  ?  " 

"  Humph !  It  couldn't  be  called  a  letter.  From 
anybody  else  I  would  have  thought  it  insulting." 

"  Not  from  him,  dear.     He  couldn't  insult  anybody. 


j^g  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

He'd  not  have  the  heart  to  do  it.  Do  you  mind  tell- 
ing?" 

"  Not  a  bit.  I  dare  say  you  could  take  example  by 
it  too.  For  it  was  a  sort  of  sermon  in  few  words,  — 
'The  perfection  of  a  man  is  the  stature  of  his  soul.' 
That's  all." 

"  I  don't  see  yet  just  what  it  means,  but  I  think  it 
is  that  you  shouldn't  mind  being  lame.  That  you 
should  let  your  soul  grow  so  big  you  would  forget  your 
poor  legs,  and  other  folks  would  forget  them  too." 

Nothing  more  was  said,  and  even  Amy  felt  that  they 
had  had  enough  of  "  sermons  "  for  one  day,  and  it  was 
a  relief  to  the  thoughtfulness  upon  them  all  to  reach 
Bareacre,  and  to  see  Cleena/with  Fayette  beside  her, 
waiting  to  welcome  them. 

"  Hal,  isn't  it  odd  ?  The  poorer  we  are  the  more 
folks  we  have.  Fayette  means  to  live  there  with  us, 
and  so,  it  seems,  do  all  the  little  Joneses.  My  !  Who 
is  that  ?  " 

"  A  scarecrow,  I  should  think.  Nobody  I  ever  saw 
before." 

Seated  upon  a  rocking-chair  which  she  had  herself 
brought  out  from  the  house  was  a  young  girl  of  about 
Amy's  age,  though  from  her  dress  and  manner  she 
might  have  been  at  least  several  years  older.  Amy 
caught  a  vision  of  something  very  gay  and  brilliant, 
rivalling  the  forests  upon  the  hillsides  in  variety  of  tint, 
but  never  in  their  harmony. 


THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL.  137 

"  Whew  !  Whoever  she  is  she  makes  my  eyes  ache ; 
and  what  a  picture  for  father  to  see,  the  first  at  his  new 
threshold  !  " 

Yet  apparently  without  noticing  anything  unpleasing, 
Mr.  Kaye  assisted  his  wife  from  the  carryall  and  walked 
with  her  to  where  the  stranger  still  sat  and  rocked.  She 
did  not  rise  at  their  approach,  and  returned  the  courteous 
greeting  of  the  master  and  mistress  of  the  house  with 
the  barest  of  nods. 

"  How  do  ?     I  come  to  pay  a  call." 

But  not  upon  them.  For  the  first  time  in  their  lives 
the  artist  and  his  lovely  wife  were  relegated  by  this  self- 
possessed  young  person  to  the  land  of  "old  folks,"  in 
whom  she  felt  no  interest. 

With  a  twinkle  in  his  eye  that  met  an  answering  one 
in  hers,  the  gentleman  handed  Mrs.  Kaye  on  toward  the 
eager  Cleena,  and  turned  to  his  children  :  — 

"  My  dears,  a  visitor  for  you,  I  think." 

So  Amy  and  Hallam  rode  up  and  dismounted,  while 
the  former  went  forward  slowly,  smiling  a  welcome, 
yet  feeling  oddly  disconcerted  before  this  unknown 
girl. 

"  I'm  Gwendolyn  Jones.  Ma  said  it  wasn't  no  more  'n 
friendly  to  come  an'  call.  I  don't  have  no  time  'cept 
Sunday  an'  Saturday-half.  Then  I  generally  go  to  Wall- 
burg  to  do  my  shopping.  It's  such  a  trouble,  shopping 
is,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     I  never  did  any,"  answered  Amy, 


138  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

simply.  She  was  amused  by  Gwendolyn,  but  regret- 
ful that  the  visit  had  been  timed  just  then.  She  had 
counted  upon  showing  the  interior  of  the  new  home  to 
her  parents,  with  all  the  best  features  accented,  and  now 
she  must  leave  them  to  see  things  for  themselves.  Be- 
sides, she  was  conscious  that  she  had  herself  been 
noticed  only  in  the  slightest  degree  by  this  maiden 
whose  big  brown  eyes  were  fixed  upon  Hallam  with  a 
steady  gaze  that  annoyed  him  exceedingly.  He  was 
always  more  conscious  of  his  lameness  in  the  presence 
of  a  stranger,  and  the  people  he  had  met,  heretofore, 
had  been  so  well  bred  that  beyond  the  first  involuntary 
surprise  at  his  condition  they  had  ignored  it  entirely. 

To  his  amazement  Gwendolyn  exclaimed :  — 

"  So  you're  the  lame  fellow,  are  you  ?  Well  now, 
you  don't  look  it,  not  above  your  waist.  You  look  real 
likely  in  your  face,  and  your  shoulders  is  broader  than 
Lionel  Percival's.  He's  considered  well  growed,  too." 

"  Is  he  ? "  asked  poor  Hallam,  understanding  that 
some  sort  of  reply  was  expected. 

"  Yes ;  '  Bony  '  feels  real  sot  up,  don't  he,  taking 
care  of  them  donkeys?  Oh,  I  tell  you,  'Bony'  is  a 
case." 

"  Is  he  ? "  again  feebly  ejaculated  Hallam.  He  looked 
helplessly  toward  Amy,  but  she  was  disappearing  in- 
doors, too  eager  to  be  with  her  parents  to  loiter  with 
this  unprepossessing  guest. 

"Yes,  he's  telling  all  over  the  mill,  and  village  too, 


THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL.  139 

how  that  he  belongs  to  your  folks  now.  He's  going  to 
live  here,  ain't  he  ?  " 

"  He  may  be.  It  will  be  just  as  Cleena  wishes,  I 
fancy.  She  is  the  one  who  has  taken  him  in  charge." 

"  That's  the  work  girl,  ain't  it  ? " 

To  the  young  Kayes  and  their  parents  their  faithful 
servant  had  never  been  anything  save  just  "Cleena." 
Her  position  in  their  family  was  as  assured  as  their 
own,  and  that  she  might  be  thought  a  "  work  girl "  by 
others,  was  a  novel  idea  to  the  lad.  It  gave  him  some- 
thing natural  to  think  about ;  and  he  stood  leaning  on 
his  crutches,  with  a  smile  upon  his  face,  looking  down 
upon  the  girl  in  the  rocking-chair,  chewing  gum  and 
swaying  so  composedly. 

"  Why,  yes ;  I  suppose  she  is.  She  certainly  works, 
and  all  the  time.  But  I  should  hardly  call  her  a  '  girl.'  " 

"  Say,  you  must  be  tired,  standing  so  long.  Take 
this  chair.  I'll  step  in  and  get  another." 

Again  Hallam  smiled.  The  girl,  in  her  ignorant 
kindness  of  heart,  had  broken  a  minor  law  of  that  cour- 
tesy in  which  he  had  been  educated.  She  had  offered 
him  the  chair  in  which  she  had  herself  been  sitting, 
instead  of  the  fresh  one  she  meant  to  get.  But  he 
declined  both,  saying  :  — 

"  Please  don't  trouble.  I  can  easily  bring  one  for 
myself." 

Because  she  was  curious  to  see  how  he  would  do 
this,  she  watched  him  and  sat  still.  Now  he  was  quite 


I4O  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

able  to  wait  upon  himself  in  most  ways,  and  handled 
his  crutches  so  deftly  that  they  often  seemed  to  Amy, 
as  to  him,  "  but  an  extra  pair  "  of  feet  or  hands,  as  the 
case  might  be. 

So  he  swung  himself  into  the  house  and  out  again, 
once  more  looking  for  his  sister,  and  hearing  her  voice 
above  stairs  explaining,  exhibiting,  and  regretting :  — 

"  Isn't  it  too  bad,  mother,  that  this  young  lady  should 
have  come  just  now?  Hal  has  worked  so  hard  and 
done  so  much.  Anyway,  father,  you  must  not,  indeed 
you  must  not,  go  into  your  studio  till  he  can  take  you 
there.  It  would  be  such  a  disappointment,  for  he's 
arranged  and  rearranged  till  I'm  sure  even  your  fine 
taste  will  be  pleased." 

He  lingered  a  moment  to  catch  the  answer,  and  it 
filled  his  foreboding  soul  with  great  content. 

"  It  is  all  very  excellent  thus  far,  dear,  and  we'll 
surely  leave  the  studio  for  him  to  show.  I  had  no  idea 
you  could  so  transform  this  barn  of  a  place.  From  the 
outside  it  was  ugliness  itself,  but  you  have  all  done 
wonders.  We  shall  be  very  happy  here." 

"  Can  that  really  be  father  speaking  ?  and  we  feared 
he  would  be  utterly  crushed.  Amy  was  right.  Blood 
tells.  And  there's  something  better  even  than  blood  to 
help  him  now.  That's  love.  Dear  old  Adam  was 
right,  too :  so  long  as  we  have  each  other  we  can  be 
happy." 

Then  he  caught  up  a  light  chair  under  his  arm  and 


THE  YOUNG  OLD  MAN  AND  THE  OLD  YOUNG  GIRL.  14! 

swung  himself  back  to  play  knight-errant  to  this  un- 
known damsel. 

She  found  him  very  agreeable,  for  he  was  a  gentle- 
man and  could  not  fail  in  courtesy  toward  any  woman, 
old  or  young.  So  agreeable,  indeed,  that  she  remained 
rocking,  chewing,  and  talking,  till  the  shadows  of  the 
autumn  evening  crept  round  them,  and  Cleena,  watchful 
for  her  "  child,"  and  indignant  at  the  intrusion  of  this 
stranger,  appeared. 

"  Arrah  musha,  Master  Hallam,  will  you  be  sittin' 
here  catchin'  your  death  ?  Come  in  by,  immediate. 
The  supper  is  on,  an'  the  master  waitin'.  Sure,  that's 
bad  luck,  for  the  first  meal  we're  all  together  in  the  new 
home.  Come  by." 

Hallam  rose.  It  was  impossible  for  him  to  avoid  ask- 
ing Gwendolyn  to  remain,  and  she,  utterly  ignoring  the 
sniffs  and  scowls  of  Cleena,  promptly  accepted. 

Of  that  meal  it  is  not  worth  while  to  write.  The  girl 
did  have  the  grace  to  keep  reasonably  quiet,  though 
occasionally  she  would  feel  that  this  silence  was  not 
doing  herself  justice,  and  would  break  into  the  cheerful 
conversation  of  the  others  with  a  boldness  and  self-asser- 
tion that  made  Amy  stare. 

Finally  she  departed,  and  Mr.  Kaye  sighed  his  relief. 

"Well,  Friend  Adam  is  the  youngest  old  person,  and 
Gwendolyn  Jones  is  the  oldest  young  person  I  ever  saw," 
remarked  Hallam,  as  he  lighted  his  mother's  bedroom 
candle  and  bade  her  good  night. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

BAD    NEWS    FROM    BURNSIDE. 

"  WES,  it  is  to  be  '  Charity  House '  now,"  said  Salome 
I     Kaye,  with  that  quiet  decision  of  hers  which,  as 
Amy  described  it,  "  Never  makes  any  fuss,  and  never 
wobbles." 

"  That's  the  best  and  the  worst  about  mother.  She 
never  says  '  yes '  when  she  means  '  no,'  and  she  never 
says  either  till  it's  all  settled.  I  remember  how,  when  I 
was  little,  I  used  to  ask,  '  Is  it  decided  ? '  and  when  she 
answered, '  Yes,  it's  decided,'  I  gave  up  teasing.  Moun- 
tains might  crush,  but  never  move  her." 

"  So  it's  '  Charity  House '  forever  and  a  day.  The 
trouble  with  you,  mother,  is  that  all  you  say  —  or  the 
little  you  say  —  always  means  •  something.  '  Charity 
House '  is,  I  suppose,  just  as  full  of  meaning  as  every- 
thing else.  Isn't  it?  Let  me  guess.  It's  'Charity' 
because  cousin  Archibald  lets  us  live  here  for  what  he 
calls  a  'starvation  rent.'  That's  the  meanest  kind  of 
'  Charity,'  and  it's  a  lie,  too." 

"Hallam!" 

"  But,  mother,  it  is.     I've  heard  these  people  talk, 
and  they  all  say  that  the  old  curmudgeon  —  " 
142 


BAD    NEWS    FROM    BURNSIDE.  143 

"  Hallam,  thee  is  proving  that  a  '  Charity  House '  is 
the  very  sort  of  home  thee  needed." 

"Well,  motherkin,  it's  true.  He  is  curmudgeon-y. 
He's  tried  for  years  to  get  a  tenant  for  this  property, 
and  not  even  the  mill  folks  would  touch  it.  He  took 
advantage  of  us  and  made  us  think  we  were  getting  a 
great  deal  for  nothing." 

"  Are  we  not  ?     Look  about  thee." 

"  Of  course,  it's  big  enough." 

"  What  a  curious  place  it  is,"  said  Amy ;  "  like  a  box 
that  eggs  come  in.  See,  this  is  it,"  and  she  rapidly 
sketched  upon  a  paper  the  diagram.  "  Two  partitions 
run  this  way,  north  and  south,  and  two  run  at  right 
angles.  That's  three  rooms  deep  on  each  floor,  look 
at  it  from  any  point  of  view.  Each  room  is  as  like  its 
neighbor  as  its  twin.  Hmm,  I  didn't  realize  it,  but 
there  are  eighteen  rooms  if  we  count  the  halls  and  the 
'black  hole.'  " 

"  Almost  as  large  as  '  Fairacres,'  thee  sees." 

11  It's  not  so  bad,  if  it  weren't  so  fearfully  bare," 
remarked  Hallam,  examining  Amy's  sketch.  "  But  it's 
queer." 

The  entrance  hall  was  the  middle  front  room  of  the 
old  building.  From  this  a  flight  of  stairs  ran  up  and 
ended  in  "the  middle  room "  above,  with  a  narrow 
flight  behind  into  the  attic.  The  upper  middle  room  was 
therefore  an  open  space,  from  the  sides  of  which  a  nar- 
row gallery  had  been  reserved  to  surround  the  well-like 


144  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

opening  of  the  stairway.  Next  the  stairs  the  gallery 
was  furnished  with  a  strong  plain  railing,  to  prevent 
the  accident  of  falling  into  the  "  well,"  and  all  the  bed- 
rooms had  doors  opening  upon  it. 

This  upper  space  was  dark,  save  when  the  bedroom 
doors  were  open  and  gave  it  light.  So,  also,  was  the 
room  below ;  and  beneath  this,  still,  was  the  "  black 
hole,"  the  extension  of  a  cellar  under  the  kitchen. 

Whatever  the  original  purpose  of  this  "hole,"  which 
received  no  light  nor  ventilation  except  through  the 
kitchen  cellar,  it  was  now  the  terror  and  despair  of 
Cleena's  cleanly  soul.  She  had  wasted  many  good 
candles  in  trying,  by  their  light,  to  sweeten  and  make 
wholesome  this  damp,  miserable  place.  But  despite 
all  it  remained  almost  as  she  found  it. 

"The  pit  of. original  sin,"  Hallam  named  it,  advising 
her  to  give  over  the  task  of  purification.  "  You've 
sprinkled  pounds  of  chloride,  splashed  whitewash  galore, 
swept  and  scrubbed  and  worn  yourself  out,  and  it's  hope- 
less. Well,  I  never  heard  that  any  of  the  Ingrahams 
died  of  pestilence  bred  down  there,  so  I  fancy  it  won't 
hurt  us." 

"  Faith,  it  shan't  that.  I'll  keep  the  front  cellar  door 
open  into  it  incessant,  an'  I'll  —  " 

"Waste  your  substance  in  lime.  Don't,  Goodsoul. 
But  it's  on  my  mind  as  it  is  on  yours.  If  I  were  as 
strong  as  I  wish,  I'd  turn  rabbit  and  burrow  galleries 
out  from  the  middle  vault  under  the  middle  rooms 


BAD    NEWS    FROM    BURNSIDE.  145 

each  side  of  the  house.  That  would  give  light  and 
air  and  keep  everything  dry." 

Neither  Cleena  nor  Hallam  noticed  that  Fayette  had 
been  a  close  listener  to  this  conversation,  nor  heard  the 
muttered  exclamation  :  — 

"  I'll  do  it !     Huckleberries  !     I'll  s'prise  'em  !  " 

This  had  been  some  days  before  Amy  drew  the 
diagram  of  the  house,  which  she  now  tossed  into  the 
waste-basket.  From  that  it  was  rescued  by  the  half- 
wit and  treasured  carefully  ;  for  to  the  purpose  formed 
in  his  mind  it  would  prove  a  great  help. 

"  But  go  on,  mother  dear.  What's  the  other  sort  of 
charity  you  mean  ?  " 

"  That  by  all  the  advantages  which  we  have  had  over 
these  new  neighbors  we  should  be  helpful  to  them.  We 
possess  nothing  of  our  own,  absolutely,  not  even  our 
better  training  and  —  " 

"  Arrah  musha !  Sure  the  pullet  was  bad  enough, 
but  this  baby'll  be  me  death  !  An'  me  steppin'  me 
great  foot  —  There,  there,  darlin'.  Cry  no  more,  cry 
no  more !  " 

The  interruption  was  Cleena,  and  the  cause  "  Sir " 
William  Gladstone. 

"  Again,  Goodsoul,"  jeered  Amy. 

"  Again  is  it  ?  An'  me  goin'  down  that  hill  betimes 
this  mornin'  to  remind  me  neighbor  as  how  it  wasn't 
necessary  to  send  all  the  childer  up  here  to  wonst.  Not 
aUI" 

L 


146  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

One  of  the  first  things  which  Cleena  had  made  Fay- 
ette  do  was  cut  and  smooth  a  path  from  the  door  of 
"  Charity  House "  to  that  of  the  cottage  below.  She 
foresaw  that  there  would  be  frequent  errands  to  and 
fro,  and  the  loose  stones,  with  the  tangle  of  running 
blackberry  vines,  were  dangerous  to  life  and  limb. 
Then,  because  Hallam's  lameness  was  also  in  her 
mind,  she  had  persuaded  the  mill  boy  to  add  a  row 
of  driven  stakes  with  rope  strung  along  their  tops. 

"  But  never  at  all  has  Master  Hal,  for  whom  it  was 
made,  gone  down  or  up  by  that  same.  Me  fathers, 
what's  a  body  to  do !  " 

"  We're  living  in  '  Charity,'  Goodsoul.  And  I've 
observed  that,  look  out  of  window  when  I  will,  there's 
always  a  yellow  headed  Jones-let  ascending  to  us  by 
the  easy  road  you've  fixed.  Belinda,  the  small,  is  apt 
to  lead  the  way.  She  likes  it  up  here.  She  likes  it  very 
much." 

"  Hmm,  that's  what  the  mother  be's  sayin'.  But 
is  that  any  reason  at  all,  avick,  why  they  should  be 
let  ?  " 

"Mrs.  Jones  thinks  it  is.  She  feels  that  we  are 
flattered  by  the  preference  her  offspring  show  for  our 
society  ;  but  between  ourselves,  Cleena,  I  think  it's  more 
raisin-bread  than  affection.  You  made  a  dire  mistake 
in  beginning  to  feed  them." 

"  An'  isn't  it  I  that  knows  it  ?     Now,  this  baby  —  " 

"  Yes,  that  baby.     What's  happened  to  him  ?     He's 


BAD    NEWS    FROM   BURNSIDE.  147 

spotted  white  and  black,  like  a  coach-dog.  What's  he 
licking  from  his  fingers  ?  " 

"  It's  spoilin'  the  bakin'  o'  bread  is  he  the  day. 
Takin'  the  coals  from  the  bucket,  each  by  each,  an' 
pressin'  them  deep  in  that  beautiful  dough.  Will  I 
wash  his  face,  eh  ?  Never  a  wash  I  wash,  but  home  to 
his  mother  he  goes  the  same  as  he  is.  If  the  sight  does 
not  shame  her,  I'd  know." 

"  I'll  take  him,  Cleena,  and  I'll  bring  back  the  milk 
for  the  day." 

So  with  her  pail  in  one  hand  and  the  other  guiding 
the  still  uncertain  steps  of  William  Gladstone,  Amy 
started. 

"It's  a  pity,  Sir  William,  it  really  is  a  pity  that  you 
ever  learned  how  to  climb.  You've  progressed  so 
alarmingly.  First  time  you  tried  it  you  could  only 
stumble  and  fall  backward.  Now  —  you  hitch  along 
famously.  Heigho'!  here's  Victoria.  All  the  high  per- 
sonages of  Merrie  England  are  honoring  us  'the  day.' 
Well,  Victoria  Regina,  what's  the  errand  now  ? " 

"Nothing,  only  thought  I'd  tell  you  about  that  old 
Quaker  man  you  like." 

"  Everybody  likes.     What  about  him  ? " 

"  He's  gone  away.  Ma  says  he  won't  never  live  to 
come  back  again." 

"  Victoria  —  Jones,  what  are  you  saying  ?  " 

"That  Mr.  Quaker  Burn,  up  Clove  way,  had  been 
took  to  Ne'  York." 


148  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  I  guess  you're  mistaken.  We  would  have  heard 
about  it  if  it  were  so.  Now,  if  you  please,  though,  I 
should  like  Master  Gladstone  to  be  'took'  home.  If 
you'll  hold  his  other  hand  we'll  get  him  there  the 
quicker." 

"I  guess  I'll  go  up  and  set  a  spell;  you  take  him," 
remarked  Victoria,  and  turned  to  ascend  the  slope. 

Amy  sighed :  "  Something  must  be  done  to  stop 
this ! "  Then  she  lifted  her  eyes  and  scanned  the 
white  dusty  road  which  circled  Bareacre  knoll,  and 
across  which  lay  the  Jones's  cottage.  A  wagon  was 
driving  leisurely  along  this  highway,  and  it  had  a  most 
familiar  appearance.  A  moment's  watching  showed  it 
to  belong  to  the  Clove  Farm,  and  it  was  Adam  Burn's 
"  hired  man  "  who  was  driving  in  it.  Her  heart  sank. 
What  if  Victoria  had  spoken  the  truth  ? 

So  she  hurried  her  young  charge  to  his  home,  and 
waiting  only  to  have  her  pail  filled  with  the  milk,  ran 
back  to  intercept  the  approaching  vehicle. 

"  Good  morning,  Israel.     How's  dear  old  Adam  ?  " 

"  Only  the  Lord  knows.     Sarah  Jane's  got  him." 

"  She  hasn't !     Don't  tell  me  !  " 

"  But  she  has,  though." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  York." 

"  When  ? " 

"  Yesterday." 

"Why?" 


BAD    NEWS    FROM    BURNSIDE.  149 

"  Same  old  story.  If  she  hadn't  gone  to  Europe, 
she'd  had  him  last  year.  I  knew  how  'twould  be  when 
she  come  home  this  summer  an'  begun  to  send  him 
the  letters.  She's  the  powerfulest  hand  to  do  her  duty 
that  ever  was.  Everything  else  has  to  give  way." 

Amy's  hand  trembled  so  that  her  milk  began  to 
trickle  over  the  sides  of  her  pail. 

"  That's  what  it  meant,  then,  that  dear,  precious 
old  fellow.  He  knew  he  was  going  to  leave  us,  that 
First  Day  we  spent  at  the  farm.  That  was  why  his 
words  in  the  meeting-house  were  so  like  a  farewell. 
It  is  too  bad  !  It  must  have  broken  his  heart." 

"  No,  it  didn't.  He  didn't  want  to  go,  not  a  mite  ; 
but  there  wasn't  no  heart-break,  not  in  sight.  If  there 
was,  he  kept  it  hid.  But  he  went  all  round  the  place, 
into  every  shed  and  building,  pointing  out  things  that 
should  be  done,  and  being  most  particular  about  the 
flowers  and  garden.  He  told  me  to  take  care  of  every- 
thing just  as  if  he  was  coming  back  to-morrow.  But 
he'll  never.  He'll  never." 

"  Israel,  you  shall  not  say  that !  He  must  come 
back !  " 

"  Oh,  he'll  come,  of  course,  one  way  :  that's  feet  fore- 
most. He's  a  sight  feebler  'n  he  ever  let  on,  an'  this 
riotous  livin'  at  York,  what  with  balls  and  parties  and 
wine  suppers,  he  won't  last  long.  They'll  kill  him  out 
of  hand  amongst  'em." 

"Oh,  Israel,  the  idea  of  Adam  Burn  at  'balls  and 


I5O  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

parties  and  wine  suppers,'  when  he's  so  simple  and 
sweet  and  abstemious.  I  don't  believe  he  ever  tasted 
wine  during  all  his  pure,  beautiful  life.  I'm  not 
worrying  about  that.  It's  the  leaving  the  things  he 
loved  will  hurt  him  so.  Why  couldn't  Sarah  Jane  have 
left  him  in  peace  ?  O  dear !  O  dear !  This  will  be  a 
fresh  sorrow  for  mother." 

"So  I  suppose.  For  all  of  us,  too.  It's  going  to  be 
lonesome  for  me,  I  reckon.  Though  Mis'  Boggs  won't 
have  so  much  to  do.  She  wants  to  give  up  the  job,  an' 
go  live  with  our  son,  Jim.  But  Sarah  Jane  told  us  to 
stay,  an'  so  we'll  have  to." 

"  Is  this  dreadful  woman  who's  spirited  Adam  away 
any  kin  to  you  ?" 

"Course  not.  But  you  needn't  laugh.  You  don't 
know  that  lady.  She's  masterful,  and  she's  rich  — 
'rich  as  Croesus,'  —  and  don't  know  what  to  do  with  her 
money.  When  the  old  man  was  lookin'  around  an' 
chargin'  me  'bout  things,  she  broke  in  with :  '  Oh,  don't 
worry,  father-in-law.  The  trumpery  stuff  isn't  worth 
so  much  thought.  I'm  not  a  relic  hunter,  and  let  it 
go,'  says  she.  Then  he  reminds  her  that  he  wanted 
it  kept  right  for  —  Whew  !  I  near  let  the  secret  out, 
didn't  I  ?  He  told  me  he  wrote  you  a  letter.  He  gave 
it  to  you,  didn't  he  ?  Well,  if  you'll  carry  the  message 
for  me,  I  won't  climb  '  Spite '  hill  this  morning.  There's 
a  few  things  to  fetch  up  in  the  open  wagon,  and  I'll 
see  your  folks  about  hauling  that  muck.  Good-by. 


BAD    NEWS    FROM    BURNSIDE.  15! 

The  spirit's  taken  clean  out  of  me.  Twenty-five  years 
me  and  him  has  lived  together,  and  to  part  sudden  like 
this.  Twenty-five  years  by  the  clock,  and  a  better  man 
than  him  never  trod  the  footstool." 

With  that  Israel  brought  the  mare  around,  and  giving 
a  mournful  nod  of  his  head  drove  dejectedly  away. 

Amy  flew  up  the  hill.  She  paid  little  heed  now  to 
the  spilling  of  the  milk,  for  she  began  to  realize  in 
all  its  force  the  calamity  which  had  befallen  them ; 
and  she  burst  into  her  mother's  sitting  room  flushed 
and  indignant,  demanding  :  — 

"What  right  had  Sarah  Jane  to  take  him  away  ? " 

Mrs.  Kaye's  heart  sank.  She  understood  what  this 
hysterical  question  implied.  It  had  been  a  contingency 
long  foreboded  by  her,  though  against  its  justice  she 
could  find  nothing  to  say. 

"  Every  right,  dear.  She  is  his  son's  widow.  She 
is  acting,  no  doubt,  as  she  thinks  her  husband  would 
wish." 

"  But  he  didn't  want  to  go." 

"  She  probably  felt  he  was  too  old  to  live  alone,  with- 
out relatives.  Indeed,  I  know  that  she  would  have 
taken  him  long  ago,  if  she  had  been  living  in  this  coun- 
try herself.  As  soon  as  she  came  home  she  has  at- 
tended to  her  —  her  duty,  as  she  sees  it.  As  I  suppose, 
anybody  would  see  it,  who  was  indifferent  whether  he 
went  or  stayed.  I  hope,  though,  that  she'll  bring  him 
back  to  Burnside  in  the  spring." 


152  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Do  you  know  her,  mother  ? " 

"  Not  well.  When  we  were  both  younger  I  used  to 
see  her  sometimes.  She  was  never  very  fond  of  Burn- 
side,  however.  It  was  too  quiet  for  her.  She  is 
a  wealthy  woman,  who  likes  to  do  a  great  deal  of  good. 
She  is  at  the  head  of  many  charitable  associations,  and 
she  has  always  had  wonderful  executive  ability." 

"  Does  that  mean  being  what  Israel  called  '  master- 
ful'?" 

"  About  the  same  thing." 

"  Will  she  be  good  to  our  dear  Adam  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  She  will  see  that  he  has  every  comfort 
possible.  He  will,  doubtless,  have  a  servant  especially 
appointed  to  wait  upon  and  care  for  him,  and  he  will 
be  made  to  share  in  all  the  enjoyments  of  the  house. 
She  believes  that  it  is  the  duty  of  all  to  live  actively 
in  the  world  and  do  good  aggressively,  so  to  speak. 
But  Adam  is  so  old  and  feeble,  he  has  passed  his  days 
in  such  simplicity,  I  can  feel  what  a  change  for  him 
it  will  be.  Still,  if  he  were  to  fall  seriously  ill,  he 
would  be  better  off  at  his  daughter-in-law's  than  here. 
Ah,  yes.  I  suppose  it  is  for  the  best  —  for  him.  For 
us  —  well,  it  will  be  hard  to  think  of  Burnside  without 
his  gracious  presence.  He  was  my  parents'  oldest, 
closest  friend,  as  he  has  been  mine." 

Mrs.  Kaye  rose,  folded  up  her  mending,  and  left  the 
room.  "  I  must  tell  Cuthbert,"  she  remarked,  as  if  to 
herself,  and  her  face  was  very  sad. 


BAD    NEWS    FROM    BURNSIDE.  153 

When  Amy  found  her  brother  and  told  him  the  news 
his  comment  was  :  — 

"  That's  a  bad  business  for  us,  girlie." 

"  Of  course.     Don't  you  suppose  I  feel  it  ? " 

"  As  long  as  Adam  Burn  was  near,  mother  would 
never  have  been  allowed  to  really  surfer  for  anything. 
I  mean  that  he  would  have  managed  to  keep  an  eye 
upon  her  and  have  helped  us  out,  till  we  could  help 
ourselves.  Do  you  know  where  that  letter  is  he  gave 
you  ?  Have  you  read  it  ?  I  should  think  this  might 
be  that  '  right  time '  of  which  he  spoke." 

"The  letter?     In  my  other  dress  pocket.     I'll  get  it." 

But  when  she  had  searched  not  only  in  her  pockets 
but  in  every  other  possible  place,  the  letter  could  not 
be  found;  and  though  Mrs.  Kaye  assured  them  that 
there  was  probably  very  little  of  importance  in  it,  her 
children  could  not  help  imagining  something  quite  to 
the  contrary ;  and  to  learn  the  unread  message  became 
the  great  desire  of  their  hearts. 

"  Well,  in  any  case,  we  have  what  he  said  to  you, 
Hal,  about  soul  growth  and  that." 

"  Humph !  Such  talk  is  all  well  enough,  but  how  is 
it  going  to  help  when  we  reach  our  last  dollar  ?  Did 
you  ever  think,  Amy,  seriously  think  how  we  are  going 
to  live  ?  Just  where  our  actual  bread  and  butter  is  to 
come  from  ? " 

"  No.     Why,  no,  not  really." 

"Then  it's  high  time  you  did." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

AMY    PAYS    A    BUSINESS    CALL. 

AT  about  the  same  moment,  on  a  "  Saturday-half  ' 
in  November,  Amy  Kaye  and  Gwendolyn  Jones 
left  each  her  own  home  to  visit  that  of  the  other. 
They  met  on  the  slope  of  "  Bareacre  "  and  paused  for 
mutual  greetings. 

"How  do?  I  was  just  going  up  to  your  house," 
said  Gwendolyn,  turning  her  back  to  the  wind  that  just 
then  blew  strongly. 

"  Good  afternoon.  Were  you  ?  And  I  was  going  to 
yours." 

"  My  !  How  cold  it  is.  Winter'll  be  here  before  we 
know  it.  Makes  a  body  think  about  her  clothes. 
That's  why  I  was  coming.  I  thought,  maybe,  you'd 
like  to  go  shopping  with  me." 

"  You're  forgetting,  I  fancy,  that  I  told  you  I  never 
did  that.  I  shouldn't  know  how  to  shop,  nor  scarcely 
what  it  means,"  laughed  Amy. 

"That's  what  me  and  ma  was  saying.  You  seem 
such  a  little  girl,  yet  '  Bony '  says  you're  'most  as  old 
as  I  am." 

"  But  I  don't  feel  old,  do  you  ?     I  wish  I  might  never 


AMY   PAYS   A   BUSINESS   CALL.  155 

grow  a  day  older,  except  that  if  I  do  I  may  be  more 
useful  to  my  people." 

"  Won't  you  go,  then  ? " 

"  Maybe,  if  you  will  do  something  for  me,  too.  I'm 
not  on  the  road  to  buy  anything,  but  to  sell.  I  thought 
that  you  might  know  of  somebody  who  would  like 
a  burro.  Do  you  ?  " 

"I'd  like  one  myself,  first-rate,  only  I'm  saving  for 
a  wheel.  I'm  buying  it  on  the  instalment  plan.  I  pay 
a  dollar  a  week,  and  after  I  get  my  winter  things  I'll 
pay  more.  Do  you  ride  ?  " 

"  Nothing  so  fine  as  a  bicycle ;  just  either  Pepita  or 
Balaam." 

"  It's  awful  hard  to  have  to  walk  everywhere,  and  the 
good  thing  about  a  wheel  is  that  it  don't  have  to  eat." 

"  And  the  bad  thing  about  a  burro  is  that  it  does." 

"  Are  you  in  earnest  ?     Do  you  want  to  sell  it  ?  " 

"No;  I  don't  want  to  at  all,  but  I'm  going  to  if  I 
can.  Do  you  know  anybody  who  really  might  buy 
Pepit  ? " 

"  Guess  I  do.     Guess  the  '  Supe '  would." 

"  The  '  Supe '  —  Mr.  Metcalf  ? " 

"  Yes ;  I  heard  him  say  he'd  like  to  get  such  a  pair 
of  mules  or  donkeys,  or  whatever  they  are,  for  his 
children.  He's  got  a  slew  of  them,  and  he  gets  'em 
every  conceivable  thing.  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  he  did, 
if  you  was  to  ask  him." 

"  Will  he  be  at  the  mill  to-day  ?  " 


156  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  No  ;  he's  at  his  house,  I  guess.  The  mill's  shut 
up,  only  the  watchman  there.  The  '  Supe  '  don't  hang 
around  there  himself  so  much  since  the  new  '  boss  ' 
came." 

"  Maybe  his  house  would  be  out  of  your  way.  If 
you'll  tell  me  how  to  find  it,  I  can  go  by  myself.  I 
wouldn't  like  to  give  you  trouble." 

"  Oh,  'twouldn't  be  a  mite.  I'd  like  it.  There'd 
be  time  enough  afterward  for  Mis'  Hackett's.  She 
keeps  open  till  near  midnight,  Saturdays.  She  gets 
lots  of  the  mill  trade,  and  she'd  like  to  have  it  all. 
But  Wallburg's  far  nicer.  Don't  you  love  Wallburg  ?  " 

"  I  was  never  there  except  once,  when  father  had 
a  guest  from  town.  Then  mother  sent  for  a  carriage, 
and  they  took  their  friend  to  see  the  city.  Hallam 
and  I  rode  our  burros,  but  we  were  very  tired  when  it 
was  over.  Even  then  we  passed  through  the  residence 
streets  only." 

"  Pshaw  !  It's  where  the  stores  are  that  I  like.  I 
always  wish  I  was  made  of  money  when  I'm  in  a  store. 
They  do  have  such  lovely  things." 

"  Doesn't  your  mother  buy  your  clothes  ?  " 

"My  mother?  My  mother?  Well,  I  guess  not. 
The  idea!  If  a  girl  earns  her  own  money  and  pays 
for  all  she  has,  I  guess  she's  a  right  to  pick  'em  out. 
Don't  you  ? " 

"Why  —  yes.  I  suppose  she  has  a  right,  if  her 
mother  allows.  But  I  should  think  it  would  be  very 


AMY   PAYS    A    BUSINESS    CALL.  157 

trying  to  select  one's  own  things.  I  should  be  so 
afraid  I  wouldn't  choose  correctly,  and  not  please  her 
taste." 

"My  land!  What  if  you  didn't?  It's  you  that  has 
to  wear  them,  isn't  it  ?  Have  a  piece  of  this  gum.  It's 
a  new  sort.  Mis'  Hackett  keeps  it  and  charges  two 
cents  a  stick.  Other  kinds  are  only  one  cent,  but  this 
is  prime." 

Gwendolyn  was  kind-hearted.  She  was  also  very 
vain.  She  felt  that  it  was  a  fine  thing  to  be  acquainted 
with  "  aristocratics  "  like  the  Kayes ;  yet  in  her  heart 
she  was  rather  ashamed  of  Amy's  plain  attire,  the 
simplicity  of  which  seemed  to  Gwendolyn  a  proof 
of  Mrs.  Kaye's  incapacity  to  "  shop "  ;  and  its  being 
white  —  though  of  soft  warm  wool  —  of  her  want  of 
taste.  She  supposed,  also,  that  any  girl  who  could, 
would  buy  gum,  and  decided  that  her  new  acquaintance 
must  be  very  poor  indeed. 

"  Take  it.  I  can  get  plenty  more.  I  earn  real  good 
wages  now." 

"  Do  you  ? "  asked  Amy,  so  wistfully  that  the  other 
was  confirmed  in  her  opinion  of  the  poverty. 

"  I  should  think  you  would  like  to  work  in  the  mill, 
wouldn't  you  ?  If  your  folks  have  lost  their  money,  it 
would  seem  real  handy  to  have  a  little  coming  in." 

"  Yes,  it  would,  indeed.     But  I  couldn't  do  it." 

"  Why  not  ?  You're  strong  enough,  I  guess,  if  you 
aren't  so  big." 


IjjS  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Yes,  I'm  strong  and  well.  But  father  has  forbidden 
me  to  think  of  it." 

"  Pshaw !  He'd  come  round.  If  you  want  to  do  it, 
I  would ;  and  once  you  were  settled  he  wouldn't  care, 
or  he  couldn't  help  himself,  anyway.  He's  kind  of 
queer,  isn't  he  ?  I've  heard  that." 

"  Queer  ?  Yes ;  just  as  queer  as  a  splendid  gentleman 
like  him  must  always  seem  to  common  people,"  flashed 
the  daughter,  all  the  more  disturbed  because  she  realized 
that  there  had  been  once,  if  not  now,  just  a  little  truth 
in  the  suggestion. 

"  Pshaw  !  I  didn't  mean  to  make  you  mad.  O'  course, 
I  hadn't  ought  to  have  spoke  so  about  your  own  father. 
I  s'pose  I'd  be  mad,  too,  if  anybody  said  things  about 
pa.  They  do,  sometimes,  or  about  ma,  their  naming 
us  children  by  fancy  names,  as  they  did.  You  see, 
they're  English,  pa  and  ma  are,  and  so  they  named  us 
after  English  aristocratics.  Ma's  a  master  hand  for 
reading  novels,  too,  and  she  gets  notions  out  of  them. 
We  take  the  Four  Hundred  Story  Paper,  and  the  Happy 
Evening  Gazette.  Do  you  take  them  ?  " 

"  No ;  I  never  heard  of  them." 

"  My  land  !  you  didn't  ?  Ain't  that  queer  ?  Why, 
they're  splendid.  They  have  five  serial  stories  running 
all  the  time.  As  fast  as  one  is  finished  another  is  com- 
menced. Umm,  they're  awful  exciting.  You  can't 
hardly  wait  from  week  to  week  to  get  the  new  instal- 
ments. Trouble  is,  ma  says,  we'd  ought  to  each  of  us 


AMY    PAYS    A    BUSINESS    CALL.  1 59 

have  a  copy,  we're  so  crazy  to  get  hold  of  it  when  it 
comes.  Some  of  the  girls  take  fashion  papers,  and  we 
lend  them  'round.  Some  lend,  I  mean.  Some  are 
stingy,  and  won't.  They  have  patterns  in  them.  You 
can  get  some  of  the  patterns  free,  and  some  cost  ten 
or  fifteen  cents.  Say,  how  do  you  like  my  dress  ?  " 

Amy  looked  critically  at  her  companion's  attire.  She 
admired  it  far  less  than  Gwendolyn  had  her  own  simple 
frock,  and  she  found  the  question  difficult  to  answer 
without  giving  offence.  She  compromised  by  say- 
ing:— 

"  Your  mother  must  be  very  industrious  to  have 
made  it,  with  all  the  housework  and  the  children." 

"  If  you  ain't  the  greenest  girl  I  know  !  My  mother 
couldn't  make  a  dress  like  this  to  save  her  life'." 

"  O — oh  !  "  stammered  Amy. 

"  Indeed,  she  couldn't.  This  was  made  by  a  dress- 
maker. The  best  one  in  Ardsley,  too.  She  charged  me 
five  dollars,  and  ma  said  it  was  too  much.  I  think  it 
was,  myself,  but  what  can  you  do?  You  must  look 
right,  you  know  ;  if  you  don't  the  girls  will  make  fun 
of  you,  and  the  boys  won't  take  you  any  place.  Is 
there  any  boy  you  like,  much  ? " 

"Why,  of  course;  though  I  know  only  three.  Is 
this  the  way,  around  the  corner?" 

"Three?     Who're  they?" 

"  Hallam,  and  Fayette,  and  William  Gladstone. 
Doesn't  the  mill  village  look  cosy  ?  The  cunning  little 


I6O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

houses  with  their  porches  and  gardens  and  neat  pal- 
ings. Such  a  lot  of  folks  living  together  should  have 
good  times,  I  think." 

"  Oh,  they  do ;  prime.  That's  the  '  Supe's  '  house, 
that  big  one,  upon  that  little  hill.  That  whole  row 
belongs  to  the  different  'bosses,'  —  of  the  setting  room, 
the  weavers,  and  the  rest  The  '  Supe '  is  real  nice,  I 
think,  though  some  say  he's  stuck  up.  He  was  a  poor 
boy,  once,  —  as  poor  as  a  church  mouse.  Say,  don't  you 
feel  sort  of  afraid  to  call  on  him,  after  all  ? " 

"  Why  ?     No,  indeed.     Afraid  ?     Why  should  I  ?  " 

"Oh,  because." 

Amy  laughed  and  hastened  forward.  Nothing  more 
was  said  until  they  reached  the  door,  shadowed  by 
vines  from  which  not  even  yet  all  the  leaves  had 
fallen.  The  whole  place  had  a  sheltered,  homelike 
appearance,  which  spoke  well  for  the  taste  and  kindli- 
ness of  its  owners. 

"Yes;  Mr.  Metcalf  is  in.  Would  you  like  to  see 
him?  Ah,  Gwendolyn,  is  it  you?  Walk  in."  Yet 
even  Amy  noticed  that  the  maid's  manner  in  welcom- 
ing her  companion  was  less  cordial  than  in  welcoming 
herself.  She  concluded  that  there  might  be  some  truth 
in  the  assertion  of  this  family  considering  themselves 
rather  better  than  their  neighbors. 

They  were  ushered  into  a  cheery  sitting  room,  which 
seemed  also  a  sort  of  library,  for  there  were  bookcases 
around  the  walls,  and  a  table  was  spread  with  the 


AMY    PAYS   A    BUSINESS   CALL.  l6l 

current  literature  of  the  day.  The  room  was  small  by 
comparison  with  those  to  which  Amy  had  been  accus- 
tomed, but  what  it  lacked  in  size  it  made  up  for  in 
comfort.  A  coal  fire  glowed  on  the  hearth,  a  bird 
sang  in  its  cage  before  the  window,  and  about  the  floor 
were  scattered  the  playthings  that  told  that  it  was  the 
resort  of  children. 

The  girls  were  not  kept  waiting.  Mr.  Metcalf  entered 
almost  at  once,  nodded  kindly  to  Gwendolyn,  and  cor- 
dially extended  his  hand  to  Amy. 

"  I  am  very  pleased  to  see  you,  Miss  Amy.  Sit 
nearer  the  fire,  for  it's  right  cold  to-day." 

"Thank  you,  but  I'm  not  cold,  and  I  don't  wish  to 
detain  you.  Gwendolyn  tells  me  that  it  is  your  holiday, 
too,  and  that  you  go  to  Wallburg." 

Mr.  Metcalf  glanced  across  at  the  other  girl,  who 
bridled  and  simpered  as  she  adjusted  her  hat  and  set- 
tled her  skirts. 

"  She  goes  there  herself,  I  fear,  rather  too  much. 
Eh,  Gwendolyn  ? " 

"  I  go  when  I  please,"  answered  the  mill  girl,  pertly. 
She  resented  something  in  the  tone  of  her  superintend- 
ent, feeling  that  out  of  work  hours  he  had  no  authority 
over  her. 

"  Oh,  of  course.  By  the  way,  there's  the  stage  just 
ready  for  the  other  end  of  the  village.  Do  you  see  it, 
Miss  Amy?  The  shop  mistress,  Mrs.  Hackett,  sends 
one  over  every  Saturday  afternoon  to  carry  our  folks 


1 62  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

free  to  her  place  of  business.  She's  an  enterprising 
person,  but,  unfortunately,  as  soon  as  she  had  adopted 
this  plan,  two  other  merchants  of  the  town  set  up  rival 
stages  also.  It's  very  funny,  sometimes,  to  see  the 
respective  drivers'  efforts  to  secure  passengers,  and 
therefore  custom." 

At  the  mention  of  stages,  Gwendolyn  rose  and  looked 
through  the  window.  Then  she  turned  toward  Amy  like 
a  person  in  great  haste. 

"  Tell  the  '  Supe '  what  you  came  for,  Amy,  so  we 
can  get  a  ride  over,  —  that  is,  if  you  want  to  go  shop- 
ping with  me  after  all." 

But  poor  Amy  could  not  reply  just  then.  It  had 
come  over  her  with  a  rush  what  her  errand  really  meant 
to  her,  and  she  was  wholly  indifferent  to  the  charms  of 
a  stage  or  even  "  shopping." 

"  Don't  wait  for  me,  please,  —  that  is,  of  course,  I  will 
keep  my  word,  but  — 

"  All  right,  then,  some  other  day.  I'll  be  up  to  see 
how  you  made  out,  and  if  Mr.  Metcalf  don't  want  it 
maybe  I'll  hear  of  somebody  else  who  does.  By,  by. 
Good  day,  sir,"  and  off  she  tore,  banging  the  door  and 
shouting  loudly  to  the  driver  of  Mrs.  Hackett's  stage. 

Mr.  Metcalf  watched  her  in  silence  till  she  had 
climbed  the  steps  at  the  rear  of  the  omnibus,  and  then 
he  remarked  :  — 

"  That  girl  has  so  much  sense  that  she  ought  to  have 
more." 


AMY   PAYS   A   BUSINESS   CALL.  163 

"  That's  a  doubtful  compliment,  isn't  it  ? "  asked 
Amy,  smiling. 

"  I  suppose  so,  though  it's  quite  true.  She  is  warm- 
hearted, generous  to  a  fault,  and  as  silly  as  they  make 
them.  However,  she  has  given  me  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  you  to-day,  and  I  hope  that  you  will  tell  me 
how  I  can  be  of  use  to  you.  From  Gwendolyn's 
words  I  judge  that  you  came  upon  some  special 
errand." 

"  Yes  ;  I  came  to  ask  if  you  would  like  to  buy  my 
white  burro." 

"Ah,  you  are  tired  of  her?  I  mean  you  wish  to  sell 
her  ?  Has  she  been  misbehaving  or  interfering  with 
'  Bony  '  again  ?  " 

"  No,  she  has  been  very,  very  good,  and  I  don't  at  all 
wish  to  part  with  her ;  but  I  want  some  money  very 
badly,  and  that  is  the  only  thing  —  the  only  way  I  could 
get  it." 

"  I  am  very  glad  you  came  to  me.  Ever  since  I  made 
Miss  Pepita's  acquaintance,  that  day  .at  the  mill,  I've 
wished  I  could  find  another  like  her  for  my  little  Nan- 
ette. How  much  do  you  ask  for  the  burro  ?  " 

"  I  don't  ask  anything.  That  is,  I  don't  know  how 
much  she  is  worth." 

"  I  think  you  told  me  that  she  was  a  gift  to  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  from  my  uncle  in  California." 

"  Hmm,  I've  heard  of  him,"  commented  the  gentle- 
man, briefly.  "  Now,  I  am  almost  as  much  in  the  dark 


164  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

in  regard  to  the  value  of  such  animals  as  you  are,  but, 
at  a  rough  estimate,  I  will  offer  you  fifty  dollars.  Then 
I  will  make  inquiries,  and  if  I  find  I  have  named  too 
small  a  price,  I  will  add  the  balance.  Is  that  satis- 
factory ? " 

"  Oh,  yes,  indeed.  Thank  you.  I  —  I  shall  be  glad 
to  have  Pepita  in  such  a  nice  place." 

At  home  Amy  had  spoken  to  none  save  Cleena  about 
this  intention  of  hers,  and  that  good  creature  had  sighed 
and  wiped  her  eyes,  but  had  not  uttered  one  word  of 
protest.  The  girl  sighed,  too,  now,  and  the  superintend- 
ent felt  it  would  be  kind  to  cut  the  matter  short. 

"  When  can  I  send  for  her  ?  " 

"Oh,  at  —  at  any  time,  I  suppose.  Or,  if  you  don't 
mind,  I'd  like  to  ride  her  here  myself.  Just  once  more." 

Mr.  Metcalf  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  In  a  few  moments  John  will  be  passing  by  Bare- 
acre  on  his  way  to  the  other  village.  You  might  drive 
up  with  him  and  ride  her  down  here  afterward.  There 
will  be  ample  time  before  dark,  and  you  must  tell  your 
people  not  to  be  anxious,  should  there  be  any  delay." 

"Very  well;  and  maybe  Hallam,  my  brother,  will 
come,  also.  Though  he  hasn't  been  told  yet,  and  might 
not  — 

"  Very  well.  Excuse  me  for  a  moment.  I  will  speak 
to  John." 

He  did  not  add,  nor  Amy  reflect,  that  it  was  a  very 
long  and  roundabout  way  to  reach  "  the  other  village," 


AMY   PAYS   A   BUSINESS   CALL.  165 

by  passing  over  rough  and  steep  Bareacre  hill;  but 
John  was  willing  enough  to  take  it,  when  he  was  told 
who  was  to  be  his  companion  on  the  route.  He  had 
liked  Amy  from  the  first,  and  had  grown  to  know  her 
fairly  well  during  his  time  of  helping  the  Kaye  house- 
hold to  settle. 

"  All  right,  boss.  Sorry  the  little  thing  is  to  give  up 
her  donkey.  She  set  a  powerful  store  by  it,  I  'low. 
Well,  all  ready  ?  How  do,  Miss  Amy  ?  So  me  an' 
you're  going  to  take  a  trip  together,  eh?  Then  I  can 
find  out  for  myself  how  the  well  is  doing.  Don't  see 
much  of  '  Bony '  since  your  folks  took  him  in  hand. 
Giddap,  there,  Jinny  !  Here  we  go  !  " 

To  pass  the  time  agreeably  John  talked  of  everything 
which  he  imagined  might  be  of  interest  to  the  silent  girl 
beside  him,  but  he  elicited  few  replies,  and  had  the 
stream  of  his  words  flow,  for  once,  without  interruption. 
Yet  it  seemed  a  very,  very  slow  ride  to  Amy,  and  when 
it  came  to  an  end,  she  scarcely  waited  to  thank  John 
for  his  "  lift "  before  she  sped  to  the  shed  where  Pepita 
was  tied,  and  shutting  the  door  behind  her,  threw  her 
arms  around  the  neck  of  the  gentle  beast,  to  cry  as 
freely  as  she  pleased. 

"  Bray  !  Br-a-ay  !  Ah-umph  !  Ah-u-umph  !  "  in- 
quired the  burro,  turning  her  head  around  as  far  as 
she  could  by  reason  of  Amy's  embrace.  , 

"  Oh,  you  darling,  you  dear  old  darling.  Don't  talk 
to  me.  Don't  look  at  me  as  if  you  thought  I  had  no 


1 66  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

heart.  Do  you  think  I  don't  love  you,  that  I  will  sell 
you,  Pepit'  ?  But  —  it  must  be.  It  must  be.  Better 
you  than  Balaam,  and  even  he  — " 

"  Ah-umph  !  A-ah-umph  !  Br-r-r-ay  !  Bray-bray- 
bray  !  B-r-a-y-a-u-m-p-h  !  !  "  protested  Balaam,  with 
great  haste  and  emphasis ;  and  this  sound  was  an 
added  pang  in  the  heart  of  the  unhappy  Amy,  who 
felt  that  she  was  not  only  breaking  her  own  heart  by 
this  separation,  but  the  hearts  of  this  four-footed  pair 
as  well. 

Then  she  heard  a  sound  along  the  frozen  ground, 
and  instantly  she  lifted  her  head,  pulled  her  Tarn  over 
her  eyes  to  hide  the  traces  of  tears,  and  called  out, 
gayly:  — 

"Is  that  you,  Hal  dear?  What  do  you  think?  You 
and  I  are  to  ride  down  to  Mr.  Metcalf's,  right  away  now. 
Is  Fayette  in  the  house  ?  I  want  him  to  help  me  groom 
Pepita  to  'the  Queen's  taste,'  as  he  says.  Halloo  to 
him,  for  me,  please." 

But  instead  of  that  the  brother  hobbled  into  the  shed 
and  asked :  — 

"  Why  should  we  go  there  ?  I  don't  want  to.  I've 
no  fondness  for  paying  visits." 

"  But  you  must  go  this  time,  Hal.  You  really,  really 
must.  I'll  tell  you  why,  by  and  by." 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

PEPITA    FINDS   A    NEW    HOME. 

WHEN  the  cripple  firmly  declined  the  visit,  Cleena 
found  some  errand  for  Fayette  to  do  at  the  "  gen- 
eral store  "  in  the  mill  village.  Hallam  thought  it  a 
little  queer  that  he  was  not  greatly  urged  in  the  mat- 
ter, and  that  Cleena  should  ask  him  to  let  Fayette  ride 
Balaam. 

"  For  you  know,  Goodsoul,  how  I  hate  to  have  any- 
body ride  him,  except  myself.  Not  even  Amy  is  really 
welcome,  though  she  does  sometimes.  I  don't  see  why 
she  goes,  anyway.  What  have  we  to  do  with  any  of 
these  people  ?  When  mother  is  ill,  too.  If  I  were  a 
daughter,  I'd  stay  at  home." 

Cleena  wheeled  about  from  scrubbing  the  kitchen 
table  and  retorted,  impatiently :  — 

"  Don't  you  go  throwing  blame  on  Miss  Amy,  lad. 
Arrah  musha!  but  she's  the  more  sense  of  the  lot  of 
us,  so  she  has,  bless  her  bonny  heart.  An'  that  sun- 
bright  an'  cheerful,  no  matter  —  " 

"  She's  not  very  cheerful  this  afternoon,  Cleena.  I 
believe  she'd  been  crying,  just  now,  when  I  found  her 
in  the  shed.  I  fancy  she'll  find  a  ride  anything  but 
167 


1 68  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

funny,  on  such  a  day  as  this.  I  like  the  warm  fire 
better  than  the  road  in  such  weather." 

"  Get  back  to  it  then,  child.  There's  your  book  yon, 
on  the  settle.  Wait.  Carry  in  a  bowl  of  porridge  to  the 
mistress,  an  you  can  ?  Heigh !  Move  them  crutches 
easy  now,  an'  not  spill  the  stuff  all  over  me  nice  floor." 

In  her  heart  Cleena  was  very  proud  of  her  deft- 
handed  "  child,"  who  could  do  so  many  helpful  things, 
even  though  a  cripple,  and  she  watched  him  cross  the 
wide  room,  swinging  easily  along  on  his  "  other  feet," 
yet  holding  the  bowl  of  steaming  liquid  upright  and 
safely.  Then  she  sighed,  and  going  to  the  door 
called :  — 

"Me  Gineral  Bonaparty,  come  by  !  " 

Fayette  was  digging,  even  though  the  ground  was 
frozen,  and  it  would  be  months  before  anything  could 
grow  again.  But  the  simple  fellow  was  a  "natural 
farmer,"  and  it  was  his  intention  to  "  let  her  lie  fallow 
this  winter.  Next  summer  I'll  show  you  a  garden'll 
make  your  eyes  bung  out.  I'm  the  best  gard'ner  any- 
where's  round,  I  am." 

He  now  replied  :  — 

"  What  fer  ?  I  want  to  get  this  side  gone  over,  this 
afternoon.  Then  come  Monday  I'm  goin'  to  get  some 
trees  down  brook  way,  an'  get  John  to  haul  'em  up  an' 
set  'em  out,  an'  get  Miss  Amy  —  " 

"  Faith,  what  else'll  you  '  get '  with  your  '  get '  an' 
'  get,'  I'd  know.  Come  by,  I  tell  ye,  to  wonst." 


PEPITA    FINDS    A    NEW    HOME.  169 

When  Cleena  spoke  in  that  tone,  it  was  noticeable 
that  Fayette  always  obeyed.  He  now  threw  down  his 
spade,  though  reluctantly,  and  sauntered  to  the  kitchen 
door. 

"A  woman  hain't  got  no  sense  nohow,  stopping  a 
man  from  his  work." 

"  An'  all  the  sense  a  man  body  has,  me  fathers,  is 
to  keep  a  woman  standin'  in  her  doorway.  I'm  wantin' 
ye  to  go  to  the  store  down  below.  Master  Hallam's 
for  lettin'  ye  ride  Balaam.  Off  with  ye,  now,  an'  clean 
the  beast's  coat,  sayin'  nothin'  of  Miss  Amy's  own 
little  white.  Will  she  ride  with  ye  ?  What  for  no  ? 
Proud  you  be,  says  I,  to  be  escortin'  of  the  like  o' 
her." 

Fayette's  eyes  shone.  The  desire  of  his  heart  was 
to  possess  Balaam  for  himself;  failing  this,  to  have 
the  privilege  of  using  the  pretty  creature  occasionally. 

"  How  happened  it  ?  How  does  she  want  to  go 
there  in  such  a  wind  ?  Blows  the  hair  right  off  your 
head,  I  'low.  I'd  ruther  go  alone,  I  would." 

" '  Ruthers '  is  all  froze  up.  Haste  along  with  ye 
now,  an'  be  off.  Mind  ye  talk  pretty  to  my  colleen, 
'cause —  No  matter." 

Fayette  made  swift  work  of  the  grooming,  and  only 
a  few  moments  later  Amy  and  he  rode  out  of  the 
enclosure.  As  she  descended  the  slope,  the  girl  turned 
and  waved  her  hand  cheerfully  to  Cleena,  then  set  her 
face  toward  the  valley  and  relapsed  into  silence. 


I  TO  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Fayette  endured  this  as  long  as  he  could,  for  though 
he  rarely  needed  anybody  else  to  speak,  this  afternoon 
he  was  annoyed  by  his  companion's  preoccupation. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Amy  ?  You  ain't  said  a  word 
since  we  started." 

"  Haven't  I  ?  and  we're  almost  there,  already.  Well, 
I  was  thinking.  That's  all.  I'll  try  to  do  better  on 
the  way  home." 

"  Feelin'  bad  about  your  ma  ?  Land,  she'll  get  well. 
All  she  wants  is  a  bit  o'  boneset  tea,  or  sage  an'  sassa- 
fras. I'll  go  yarb  hunting  to-morrow,  if  I  get  my  garden 
ploughed.  Cleena'll  stew  it.  Say,  have  you  heard  my 
new  one  ?  Hark  to  this." 

He  pulled  from  his  pocket  a  small  jewsharp  and 
began  to  "play"  upon  it  in  the  most  nerve-rasping 
manner. 

"Oh,  Fayette,  another?  Why,  you  must  have  a 
half-dozen  already.  I  come  upon  them  everywhere 
about  the  house,  in  the  rooms  where  you  are." 

"  Ain't  got  none  now  but  this.  I  bought  it  to  Mis' 
Hackett's.  Cleena's  took  my  others.  Got  'em  all  in 
her  kitchen  draw '.  'Low  she'll  get  this  if  you  tell  on 
me." 

"I'll  not  need.  You'll  have  it  out  to  show  her  how 
talented  you  are,  and  then  —  away  goes  your  pride, 
your  jewsharp,  and  all." 

"  Hmm,  she  better  try.  I'll  teach  her  a  lesson 
some  day  she  ain't  goin'  to  ferget.  That  woman  bosses 


PEPITA   FINDS   A   NEW   HOME.  17! 

me  too  much.  I  ain't  a-goin'  to  stand  it.  You'll  see. 
I'll  clear  out  an'  leave  the  whole  kerboodle  first  you 
know.  Sho !  Here  we  be." 

11  Indeed.  Well,  I'm  sorry  to  have  reached  the 
place  so  soon,  though  it  is  pretty  cold." 

"You  go  in  and  see  the  'Supe's'  folks.  I'll  ride 
along  an'  do  my  arrants.  Cleena'd  ruther  trust  me 
than  you,  wouldn't  she?  I'm  a  master  hand  for  a  trade, 
an'  she  knows  it.  Say,  I  do  wish  he'd  sell  me  Balaam." 

"  You  must  drop  that  subject,  really,  Fayette.  Even 
if  Hallam  were  to  part  with  his  burro,  it  would  not  be 
to  you." 

The  simple  lad's  fierce  temper  rose  in  full  force  at 
Amy's  blunt  words. 

"  Like  to  know  why  not  ?  Ain't  my  money  as  good 
as  anybody's?  Ain't  I  'stuck  up'  enough  to  suit?  He 
never  rode  in  a  parade,  he  didn't.  Told  me  so  him- 
self." 

"  Nor  do  I  think  he  ever  will,  and,  of  course,  one 
person's  money  is  as  good  as  another's,  excepting  that 
we  could  never  trust  how  long  you  would  be  kind  to 
dear  old  Balaam.  Hal  would  take  much  less  to  have 
the  creature  well  treated  than  —  I  mean  —  Oh,  don't 
get  so  angry;  it's  not  worth  while." 

The  more  she  tried  to  smooth  matters  over,  the  more 
indignant  the  other  became.  His  harp  was  still  between 
such  discolored  teeth  as  Pepita's  former  assault  had 
left  him,  and  added  to  the  grotesqueness  of  his  appear- 


172  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

ance  as  he  glared  upon  Amy.  To  finish  what  she  had 
begun,  she  remarked  :  — 

"Just  tie  him  there,  at  that  second  post,  please,  and 
you'd  best  put  his  blanket  on  him." 

"  Tie  him  ?  I'm  goin'  to  ride  him  to  the  village  to  let 
the  boys  see  him  an'  try  him.  I  promised  I  would. 
Tie  him  !  I  shan't  neither  !  " 

"  You  certainly  will  not  ride  him  to  wherever  those 
dreadful  boys  are.  Nobody  shall  touch  him,  except 
you  or  me,  and  you  ought  not." 

Fayette  gave  her  one  more  angry  glance,  leaped  from 
his  saddle  with  a  jerk,  and  bestowed  upon  the  unoffend- 
ing burro  a  vicious  kick.  Then  he  disappeared  down 
the  street,  and  Amy  tied  Pepita  in  haste,  that  she  might 
look  after  the  other  animal  also. 

Just  then  she  heard  a  step  upon  the  path  behind  her, 
and  the  superintendent's  pleasant  voice,  saying  :  — 

"Well,  young  lady,  you  are  certainly  prompt,  and 
promptness  is  a  cardinal  virtue  —  from  a  business  man's 
point  of  view.  See,  here  is  the  little  girl  for  whom  you 
are  giving  up  your  pet." 

"Ah,  indeed." 

Amy  smiled  upon  the  child,  who  might  have  been  ten 
years  of  age,  and  the  fragile  little  creature  appeared  to 
smile  in  return.  Then  it  came  over  the  visitor  that 
there  was  something  out  of  common  in  that  uplifted, 
happy  face,  and  that  the  smile  was  not  in  response  to 
her  own  greeting.  The  wide  blue  eyes  looked  up- 


'"THEN  I'M  GLAD,  GLAD  THAT  YOU  ARE  TO  HAVE  PEPITA." 


PEPITA    FINDS    A    NEW    HOME.  1/3 

ward,  truly,  but  with  the  blank  stare  of  one  who  sees 
nothing. 

"  Ah,  is  it  so  ? "  cried  Amy,  a  second  time,  watching 
with  what  hesitation  the  little  girl  moved  along  the  path, 
and  how  persistently  she  clung  to  her  father's  hand. 

"Yes,  blind;  quite  blind  —  from  her  birth,"  said  Mr. 
Metcalf,  sadly. 

Amy  was  on  her  knees  in  a  moment,  clasping  the 
child's  slight  body  in  her  arms  and  saying:  — 

"Then  I'm  glad,  glad  that  you  are  to  have  Pepita. 
She  is  the  dearest,  nicest  burro  —  except  when  she's 
bad  —  and  will  carry  you  wherever  you  want  to  go,  — 
that  is,  if  she  is  willing.  You  dear  little  girl,  she  shall 
be  yours,  without  that  money  either.  I  never  knew 
about  you  before,  or  you  should  have  had  her  before, 
too." 

Mr.  Metcalf1  smiled,  well  pleased.  His  blind  daugh- 
ter was  the  idol  of  his  flock,  and  anybody  who  was 
attracted  by  her  became  interesting  to  him.  Amy  had 
been  so,  even  before  this  incident,  but  he  liked  her 
heartily  now. 

"  So,  Miss  Amy,  though  you  hated  to  part  with  your 
burro  for  money,  you  would  do  so  willingly  for  love  and 
sympathy?" 

"Why,  of  course.     If  I'd  only  known  — 

"  You  will  not  make  a  good  business  woman,  at  this 
rate.  But  this  wind  is  sharp.  I  mustn't  keep  Nanette 
out  here  long,  else  her  mother  will  worry,  and  that 


174  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

wouldn't  do.  Suppose,  since  you  know  more  about 
donkeys  than  I  do,  that  you  give  my  girl  her  first  rid- 
ing lesson.  Reach  Miss  Amy  your  hand,  dear  heart." 

Amy  caught  the  little  white-mittened  fingers  in  her 
own  and  kissed  them  impulsively.  Then  she  rose  and 
placed  the  child  on  Pepita's  saddle. 

"  Take  hold  of  the  bridle,  so,  in  both  hands,  now,  till 
you  learn  how.  I'll  keep  my  arm  about  you.  No, 
dear,  you  cannot  fall.  I  wouldn't  let  you,  even  if  Pepita 
would,  and  she's  in  a  gentle  mood  to-day.  Aren't  you, 
Pepit'  ? " 

"  Br-a-ay  !  Ah-ump  !  "  responded  the  burro.  She  did 
not  always  have  her  replies  so  ready,  and,  for  an  instant, 
it  seemed  as  if  she  would  frighten  her  new  mistress. 
But  there  was  always  something  absurdly  amusing 
in  Pepita's  tones,  and  after  the  first  shock  of  hearing 
them  had  passed,  Nanette  burst  into  a  merry  laugh 
that  made  the  others  laugh  too. 

"Oh,  doesn't  she  talk  nicely!  Does  she  always 
answer  so  quick  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed.  Sometimes  the  naughty  little  beast 
will  not  say  a  single  bray.  She  has  many  moods,  has 
Pepit'.  You'll  find  them  all  out,  though,  after  a  while. 
Now,  how  do  you  like  it?  Isn't  the  motion  soft  and 
gentle  ? " 

"Oh,  if  mamma  could  see!"  cried  the  happy  little 
girl,  turning  her  sunny  face  toward  Amy.  Then  she 
suddenly  pulled  off  her  mittens  and  drew  her  new 


PEPITA    FINDS    A    NEW    HOME.  175 

friend's  head  down  so  that  she  could  feel  the  un- 
familiar features.  Swiftly,  lightly,  the  tiny  finger-tips 
passed  over  every  one,  then  travelled  upward  and  lost 
themselves  in  the  close  rings  of  hair  under  the  scarlet 
Tarn.  "  Now,  I'll  know  you  forever.  What  color  is 
your  hair  ?  What  is  your  hood,  or  bonnet  ? " 

"  My  hair  is  very  dark  brown,  or  almost  black,  1 
think.  My  Tarn  is  red.  But  do  you  know  colors  ?  " 

"  I  know  what  they  are  like  to  me.  Papa  says  that 
maybe  that  is  not  the  same  as  they  are  in  the  truly 
world,  but  I  don't  care.  They  are  pretty  and  suit  me, 
my  blind  colors  do.  I  like  you.  I  like  you  very  much. 
I  think  you  are  lovely,  lovely  to  give  me  your  don- 
key— 

"  But  I  didn't.  That  is,  I  will,  since  I  know  about 
you ;  but  I  asked  your  father  to  buy  her  first.  I 
wouldn't  —  " 

"  Oh,  never  mind.  It's  all  the  same,  isn't  it  ?  It 
would  be  in  my  blind  world.  She  was  yours  and  now 
she  is  mine,  and  you're  lovely.  Oh,  I  wish  mamma 
could  see !  " 

"  Why,  can't  she,  dear  ?     Is  she  —  " 

"  No,"  interrupted  the  superintendent,  smiling.  "  No, 
she  isn't  blind.  The  only  body  in  our  household  who 
is  able  to  see  beautiful  things  with  her  eyes  shut  is 
Nanette,  here;  and  the  only  trouble  with  the  mother 
is  that  there  is  a  new  baby  in  her  room  just  now,  so 
she  hasn't  time  or  strength  to  get  up  and  look  out  of 


176  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

window  at  new  burros.  She  thinks  the  new  babies  are 
the  nicer  of  the  two  sorts.  Eh,  Nan,  child  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  she  does,  but  I  don't.  Pooh  !  there  have 
been  three  new  baby  sisters  that  I  can  remember,  and 
once  I  was  a  new  baby  sister  myself,  to  my  brothers. 
They're  so  common,  you  know;  but  I  don't  think  of 
any  girl  anywhere,  except  you,  and  now  me,  that  has 
had  a  new  snow-white  donkey.  Do  you  ?  " 

"  No,  I  do  not,"  laughed  Amy. 

Mr.  Metcalf  invited  Amy  into  the  house,  while  he  led 
the  burro  around  to  the  little  stable  in  the  rear,  which 
was  to  be  Pepita's  new  home.  Amy  would  have  liked 
to  throw  her  arms  about  the  hairy  white  neck,  but  pride 
forbade,  and  so  the  parting  was  made  without  any  sign 
of  distress  on  either  side.  Pepita  was  eager  for  shelter, 
and  her  late  mistress  to  hear  what  the  blind  child  was 
saying. 

"  It's  right  this  way  into  the  sitting  room.  I  love 
the  sitting  room  best.  That's  where  papa  has  his 
books  and  papers,  and  it  smells  like  him.  He  smokes, 
you  know,  but  only  in  this  room  or  out  of  doors.  Oh, 
do  help  me  think !  Mamma,  dear  heart,  says  I  am  to 
name  this  last  little  new  baby.  Just  fancy  it !  I,  my- 
self !  And  it  bothers  me  terrifically.  I  would  want  a 
nice  long  name,  the  longest  that's  in  the  books  ;  but  papa 
says  that  there  are  so  many  little  folks  who  like  us  and 
come  to  live  with  us,  that  we  mustn't  spend  time  on 
long  names.  Oh,  I've  just  thought!  I'll  name  her 


PEPITA   FINDS   A   NEW   HOME.  177 

'Amy.'  That's  short,  isn't  it?  Could  a  body  nick- 
name it?  We  don't  like  nicknames  here.  I'm  the 
only  one.  I'm  sometimes  '  Nan '  to  papa.  When  the 
baby  last  before  this  one  came,  mamma  named  her 
Abby  after  Grandmother  Abigail.  Then  she  thought 
we  couldn't  ever  stop  to  say  Ab-i-ga-il,  so  she  shortened 
it  to  Abby.  Next  thing,  listen.  Abby  was  crying  one 
day  and  Rex  heard  her,  and  grandmother  asked, 
'  What's  that  ? '  'cause  she's  deaf  and  doesn't  hear 
straight*  and  Rex  said,  'Oh,  that's  nothing  but  little 
Ab  ! '  She  was  just  three  days  old  then,  and  mamma 
thought  if  her  name  got  cut  in  two  so  quick  as  that, 
she  wouldn't  have  any  at  all  in  a  week  or  two  longer. 
So  she's  just  Ruth  now ;  and  when  the  boys  say 
'  Ruth-j,'  papa  makes  them  put  a  nickel  in  the  box. 
Do  you  have  a  nickel  box  on  your  bookcase  ? " 

"No,  indeed.  Tell  me  about  it.  I've  never  heard 
of  such  a  thing." 

"  Why,  it's  this  way.  Feel  me  your  hand.  I'll  show 
you."  And  as  if  she  could  see  perfectly,  Nanette 
guided  Amy  to  the  further  side  of  the  room,  where 
stood  a  pretty,  polished  box  upon  the  bookshelf.  The 
box  had  a  slit  in  its  cover,  and  it  jingled  merrily  in  the 
blind  child's  hand. 

"  Hear !  We  must  have  been  pretty  bad  this  month. 
But  that  makes  it  all  the  better  for  the  little  'fresh 
airers,'  doesn't  it?  Sometimes,  when  I  think  about 
them,  I  just  want  to  do  things  —  not  nice  things  —  all 


1/8  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

the  time,  so  as  to  make  more  money  for  them.  But  of 
course  it  wouldn't  be  honorable,  and  I  wouldn't  do  it." 

"  Do  you  put  the  nickels  in  when  you  are  '  naughty  '  ?  " 

"  Yes,  for  crossness  and  unpolite  words  and  mess- 
ing at  table  and  —  lots  of  things.  Once  —  "  Nanette 
paused  and  turned  her  eyes  toward  Amy  for  a  long 
time.  Then  she  again  passed  those  delicate  finger-tips 
over  the  other's  face,  and  decided  :  — 

"  Yes,  I  can  trust  you.  Once  one  of  us,  I  couldn't 
tell  you  which  one,  but  one  of  us  told  a  wrong  story,  a 
falsehood,  an  untruth.  One  of  the  dreadful  things  that 
made  our  dear  Lord  kill  Ananias  and  Sapphira  dead. 
Wasn't  that  awful?  Mamma  and  papa  didn't  know 
what  to  do.  A  nickel  didn't  seem  much  pay  for  a  lie, 
did  it  ?  So  they  made  it  a  dollar.  Yes,  ma'am,  one 
whole  dollar.  That's  twenty  nickels.  Oh,  it  was  so 
unhappy  those  days !  I  was  gladder  than  ever  that  I 
was  blind.  I  think  I  should  have  died  to  see  the  bad 
face  of  the  one  that  did  it  while  it  was  bad.  But 
mamma  says  such  a  lesson  is  never,  never  forgotten. 
You  see,  we  haven't  any  right  to  be  bad,  have  we  ? " 

"  I  suppose  not,  dear.  What  a  wise  little  thinker  you 
are!" 

"  Papa  says  I  think  too  much.  That's  why,  one  why, 
he  was  so  glad  to  get  me  the  burro.  He  hopes  it  will 
stop  me  some.  But  in  a  home  a  body  must  remember 
it  isn't  his  home  nor  her  home,  but  the  home  of  every- 
body that  belongs.  If  I  should  be  naughty,  it  would 


PEPITA    FINDS   A   NEW   HOME.  179 

throw  things  all  out  of  —  of  smoothness,  don't  you 
know.  I  can't  be  naughty  all  by  myself.  If  I  could 
—  no,  I  wouldn't  like  it  either.  When  I'm  selfish  or 
bad,  I  always  feel  as  if  I  had  on  a  dirty  apron,  and  I 
do  just  hate  dirty  clothes  !  " 

"  And  you  do  just  love  to  talk,  little  one,"  cried  the 
superintendent,  coming  in  and  catching  up  his  daughter 
in  his  strong  arms.  "  We  tell  her,  Miss  Amy,  that  she 
makes  up  for  what  she  doesn't  see  by  what  she  does 
say.  Eh,  midget?" 

Nanette  cuddled  her  fair  head  against  her  father's 
beard,  and  turned  her  eyes  toward  Amy.  It  seemed 
impossible  to  believe  that  those  beautiful  eyes  could  not 
really  behold  whereon  they  rested,  and  the  tears  of  sym- 
pathy rose  to  Amy's  own  as  she  tried  to  comprehend 
this. 

"Isn't  he  a  dear,  funny  papa?  But  you  just  wait 
until  you  see  my  mother.  She's  the  nicest  thing  in  this 
whole  world.  Oh,  papa,  shall  I  call  the  baby  '  Amy '  ? " 

"  If  you  like,  darling.  It's  a  pleasant,  old-fashioned 
name." 

"  I'll  tell  you  a  better  one,  though  it's  longer.  That 
is  '  Salome.' " 

"  Who's  she  ?  "  asked  Nanette. 

"  My  mother.  As  you  feel  about  yours,  I  think  she 
is  the  sweetest  thing  in  this  whole  world." 

"Sa-lo-me,  Sa-lo-me,"  repeated  the  child,  slowly. 
"  That  is  pretty.  What  do  you  say  about  that,  papa  ? " 


ISO  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  As  you  and  mother  please,  darling.  It  is  a  good 
name.  But  now,  dear,  run  away.  I  have  to  talk  busi- 
ness with  this  new  friend  of  yours,  and  where  you  are 
—  eh?" 

"  Yes,  I  do  talk,  don't  I  ?  I  love  to  talk.  Good-by, 
Amy.  Please  come  again  to  see  me,  and  every  time 
you  must  ride  on  Peppy  —  what  is  her  name  ?  " 

"  Pe-pi-ta.     It  is  Spanish  and  very  pretty,  I  think." 

"  Pay-pee-tah,"  repeated  Nanette,  imitating  the  sound 
and  ignorant  of  the  spelling. 

"  Now,  Miss  Amy,  I've  had  your  saddle  put  upon 
your  brother's  burro.  You  can  ride  him  home,  and 
I  will  have  '  Bony '  carry  the  other  saddle.  To-morrow 
.he  shall  bring  the  girl's  saddle  back  to  Nanette,  and 
I  echo  her  invitation  that  you  should  come  often  to 
visit  us  and  ride  upon  your  own,  old  favorite.  Here 
is  the  envelope  with  the  money,  and  since  you  must  go 
at  all,  I'll  urge  you  to  go  at  once.  There  is  another 
squall  coming,  and  it  will  darken  early." 

As  she  rode  homeward  a  doctor's  phaeton  passed 
her.  It  was  being  driven  rapidly,  and  a  face  peered  out 
at  her  from  beneath  the  hood.  Then  it  stopped  and 
waited  for  her  to  approach. 

"  Do  you  belong  at  the  '  Spite  House '  ? " 

"Yes;  why?" 

"  Make  haste.     Drive  on," 


CHAPTER   XV. 

FACING    HARD    FACTS. 


haste.     Drive  on." 

The  words  sang  themselves  into  Amy's  brain 
as  she  urged  Balaam  up  the  slope,  and  for  days  there- 
after they  returned  to  her,  the  last  vivid  memory  of 
that  happy  time  before  bereavement  came. 

Then  followed  a  season  of  confusion  and  distress; 
and  now  that  a  fortnight  was  over  she  sat  beside  a 
freshly  made  mound  in  Quaker  burying-ground,  trying 
to  collect  her  thoughts  and  to  form  a  definite  plan  for 
her  future. 

The  end  of  a  gentle,  beneficent  life  had  come  with 
merciful  suddenness,  and  the  face  of  Salome  Kaye  was 
now  hidden  beneath  this  mound  where  her  child  sat, 
struggling  with  her  grief,  and  bravely  endeavoring  to 
find  the  right  way  out  of  many  difficulties.  Finally, 
she  seemed  to  have  done  so,  for  she  rose  with  an  air 
of  grave  decision  and  kneeling  for  one  moment  in  that 
quiet  spot,  rose  again,  and  passed  swiftly  from  the 
place. 

Hallam   was    at    the   cemetery   gate,    resting   sadly 
against  the  lichen-covered  stone  post,  and  waiting  for 
181 


1 82  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

her  return.  Indian  summer  had  come,  a  last  taste  of 
warmth  and  brightness  before  the  winter  closed,  and 
despite  their  sorrow  nature  soothed  them  with  her  love- 
liness. In  any  case,  whether  from  that  cause  or  from 
her  own  will,  the  girl  found  it  easier  than  she  had 
expected  to  speak  with  her  brother  upon  their  material 
affairs. 

"  Shall  we  stop  here  a  little  while,  Hal  dear,  to  talk, 
or  will  we  go  on  slowly  toward  home  ?  I've  been 
thinking,  up  —  up  there  beside  mother,  and  I've  found 
a  way,  I  hope." 

"  I  don't  care  where,  though  I'd  rather  not  talk. 
What  good  does  it  do?  I  hate  it.  I  hate  home.  I 
hate  this  place  worse —  Oh,  it's  wicked!  It's  cruel! 
Why  did  she  ever  have  to  leave  Fairacres !  She  might 
be  —  " 

Amy's  hand  went  up  to  Hallam's  lips.  "  Hush ! 
Do  you  suppose  God  blunders  ?  I  don't.  If  He  had 
meant  her  to  stay  with  us,  He  would  have  found  a  way 
to  cure  her.  To  think  otherwise  is  torture.  No.  No, 
no,  indeed  no!  Father  is  left  and  so  are  we.  We 
have  got  to  live  and  take  care  of  him  and  of  ourselves." 

"  I  should  like  to  know  how.  I  —  a  miserable  good- 
for-naught,  and  you  —  a  girl." 

"  Exactly,  thank  you,  just  a  girl  But  a  girl  who 
loves  her  brother  and  her  father  all  the  more  because 
—  she  loved  them  too.  A  girl  who  has  made  up  her 
mind  to  do  the  first  thing  and  everything  that  offers, 


FACING   HARD   FACTS.  183 

which  will  help  to  make  them  comfortable;  who  is 
going  to  put  her  family  pride  in  her  pocket  and  go  to 
work.  There,  it's  out!" 

"  Go  —  out  —  to  —  work,  Amy  —  Kaye ! " 

"  Yes,  indeed.     Don't  take  it  so  hard,  dear." 

In  spite  of  himself  he  smiled.  Then  he  remembered. 
"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  laugh  or  jest  —  so  soon.  As 
if  —  but  you  must  care." 

"  Just  because  I  do  care,  so  very,  very  much.  Oh, 
Hal,  don't  dream  I'm  not  missing  her  every  hour  of  the 
day.  I  fancy  I  hear  her  saying  now,  this  moment,  as 
she  used  to  say  when  I'd  been  naughty  and  was  peni- 
tent :  '  If  thee  loves  me  so  much,  dear,  thee  will  try  to 
do  the  things  I  like.'  The  one  thing  she  liked,  she 
lived,  was  a  brave  helpfulness  toward  everybody  she 
knew.  She  didn't  wait  for  great  things,  she  did  little 
things.  Now,  the  first  little  things  that  are  facing  us 
are :  the  earning  of  our  rent  and  of  our  food." 

Hallam  said  nothing.  He  knocked  a  stone  aside 
with  the  end  of  his  crutch,  and  groaned. 

"  I'm  going  to  work  in  the  mill,"  she  continued. 

"  Amy !  Father  expressly  forbade  that,  or  even  any 
mention  of  it.  You,  a  Kaye ! " 

"  He  has  given  me  permission,  even  though  I  am  a 
Kaye."  She  tried  to  smile  still,  but  found  it  hard  in 
the  face  of  his  want  of  sympathy,  even  indignation. 

"  Do  you  think  he  knew  what  he  was  saying  when 
he  did  it?" 


1 84  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Yes,  Hallam,  I  do.  It  seems  to  me  that  father  is 
more  like  other  folks  since  this  trouble  came  than  he 
was  before.  I  was  worried  and  asked  the  doctor,  for  I 
remembered  mother  always  used  to  spare  him  every- 
thing painful  or  difficult  that  she  could.  The  doctor 
said  :  — 

"  '  It  may  be  that  this  blow  will  do  more  to  restore 
him  than  all  her  tender  care  could  do.' 

"And  then  I  asked  him  something  else.  It  was  — 
what  was  the  matter  with  him  —  if  it  was  all  his  heart. 
He  said,  '  No,  indeed.  It's  his  head.'  He  was  in  a  great 
fire,  at  a  hotel  where  he  was  staying,  a  long  time  ago. 
He  was  nearly  killed,  and  many  other  people  were 
killed.  For  a  while  he  thought  that  mother  had  been 
burned,  they  had  gotten  separated  some  way,  and  it 
made  him  —  insane,  I  suppose.  But  when  she  was 
found,  in  a  hospital  where  he  was  taken,  he  got  better. 
He  isn't  at  all  insane  now,  the  doctor  says,  but  is  only 
a  little  confused.  Mother  never  had  us  told  about  it, 
because  she  wanted  we  should  think  our  father  just 
perfect,  and  for  that  reason  she  drew  him  into  this 
quiet  life  that  we  always  have  lived.  If  he  wanted  to 
spend  money  foolishly,  she  never  objected.  She  hoped 
that  by  not  opposing  any  wish  he  would  get  wholly 
well.  Part  of  this  Cleena  has  told  me,  for  she  thought 
we  ought  to  know,  now,  and  part  the  doctor  said.  Oh, 
Hal,  I  think  it  will  be  grand,  grand,  to  take  care  of  him 
as  nearly  like  she  did  as  we  can.  Don't  you  ? " 


FACING    HARD    FACTS.  185 

Hallam's  eyes  sparkled.  "Amy,  I  always  said  she 
was  the  most  beautiful  woman  in  the  world,  in  char- 
acter as  well  as  person." 

"  To  us,  she  certainly  was.  My  plan  is  this :  I  will 
go  to  Mr.  Metcalf  and  ask  him  to  give  me  a  place  in 
the  mill.  If  those  other  girls  can  work,  so  can  I." 

"  Do  you  know  who  owns  the  mills  now  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  our  cousin  Archibald  Wingate." 

"  And  you  would  work  for  him  ?  You  would  demean 
yourself  to  that  ?  Yet  you  know  how,  when  he  offered 
us  money  last  week,  or  to  do  other  things  for  us,  both 
father  and  I  indignantly  declined." 

"  Yes,  I  know.  I,  too,  was  glad  we  didn't  have  to 
take  it,  though  I  do  not  believe  he  is  as  bad  as  we 
think.  We  look  at  him  from  this  side ;  but  if  we  could 
from  the  other,  he  might  not  seem  so  hard-hearted.  He 
said  he  was  sorry.  He  seemed  to  feel  very  badly." 

"  Yes,  and  when  he  came  and  asked  Cleena  to  let 
him  see  —  her,  just  once  more,  she  gave  him  a  reproof 
that  must  have  struck  home.  She  told  him  he  was 
practically  the  cause  of  mother's  death,  —  his  driving 
her  from  Fairacres,  —  and  I  shall  always  feel  so,  too." 

"  I  hope  not,  dear." 

"Well,  I  hate  him.  I  hope  I  can  sometime  make 
him  suffer  all  he  has  made  us." 

"  But,  Hal,  that  is  vindictive.  To  be  vindictive  is 
not  half  as  noble  as  to  be  just.  Mother  was  just. 
While  it  grieved  her  to  leave  her  home,  she  fully 


1 86  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

appreciated  how  much  he  must  long  for  it.  It  was 
their  grandmother's,  you  know,  and  he  felt  he  had  a 
right  there.  I  do  not  blame  him  half  as  much  as 
I  pity  him.  He's  such  a  lonely  old  fellow,  it  seems 
to  me." 

"  Humph !  I  wouldn't  work  for  him  and  take  his 
money.  I  should  feel  as  if  it  were  tainted." 

For  a  moment  Amy  was  staggered  by  this  view  of 
her  brother's.  Then  it  dropped  into  its  proper  place  in 
the  argument,  and  she  went  on  :  — 

"  It  would  be  pleasanter  to  work  for  somebody  else. 
But  there  is  nobody  else.  I  think  Mr.  Wingate  has 
very  little  to  do  with  the  employees  of  the  mill.  It's 
Mr.  Metcalf  who  pays  them,  and  he's  a  dear,  good 
friend  already.  I'm  going  to  see  him  this  afternoon. 
I  asked  Gwendolyn  to  tell  him  I  was  coming,  but  I 
suppose  he  thinks  it  is  about  selling  Balaam.  He's 
ready  to  take  him  off  your  hands  if  you  want  to  part 
with  him.  That  seventy-five  dollars  he  paid  for  Pepita 
and  the  saddle  and  harness  was  such  a  blessing.  It 
carried  us  through ;  we  couldn't  have  done  without 
it,  unless  we'd  let  Mr.  Wingate  help." 

"  Never  !  Well,  I  suppose  he'll  have  to  take  him.  If 
I  can't  work,  I  can  give  up,  as  well  as  you." 

"  No,  Hal,  I  don't  want  to  sell  him  yet.  Wait  till  the 
last  thing  and  we  can't  help  it.  Do  try  to  think  kindly 
of  what  I'm  doing,  dear.  Down  in  my  heart  I'm  pretty 
proud,  too.  But  you  start  home.  I'll  take  a  bit  of  lunch 


FACING    HARD    FACTS.  187 

and  then  start  out  to  seek  my  fortune.  Wish  me  luck, 
laddie;  or,  rather,  bid  me  God-speed." 

She  lifted  her  face  for  his  kiss,  and  he  gave  it  heartily. 
It  was  to  the  sensitive,  proud,  undisciplined  boy  the 
very  hardest  moment  of  his  life,  save  and  apart  from 
his  bereavement. 

"  To  think,  Amy,  little  sister,  that  I,  who  should  be 
your  protector  and  supporter,  am  just  —  this  !  " 

"  Hush  !  you  shall  not  point  so  contemptuously  to 
those  poor  legs.  I  think  they  are  very  good  legs, 
indeed.  There's  nothing  the  matter  with  them  except 
that  they  won't  move.  They've  been  indulged  so 
long  —  " 

"  Amy,  I  don't  understand  you.  First  you  seem  so 
cheerful ;  then  you  make  light  of  my  lameness.  Are 
you  forgetful,  or  what  ? " 

"  Not  forgetful,  nor  hard-hearted.  Just  '  what,' 
which  means  that  I  believe  you  could  learn  to  walk  if 
you  would." 

"  Amy  !    Amy!!  " 

"  Hallam  !  " 

"  Do  you  suppose  I  wouldn't  if  I  could  ? " 

"  Hal,  do  you  ever  try  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  indignantly ;  then  he  reflected  that, 
in  fact,  he  never  did  try.  But  to  convince  her  he  made 
an  effort  that  instant.  Tossing  his  crutches  to  the 
ground,  he  tried  to  force  his  limbs  forward  over  the 
ground.  They  utterly  failed  to  respond  to  his  will,  and 


1 88  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

he  would  have  fallen  had  not  Amy's  arms  caught  and 
supported  him. 

"There,  you  see  !  " 

"  For  the  first  attempt  it  was  fine.    Bravo !    Encore!  " 

Yet  she  picked  up  his  "other  legs"  and  gave  him, 
then  led  Balaam  away  from  the  late  thistle  blooms  he 
was  browsing.  Hallam  mounted,  crossed  his  crutches 
before  him,  and  lifted  his  cap.  Amy  tossed  him  a  kiss 
and  turned  millward,  while  he  ascended  the  hill  road. 
But  no  sooner  was  she  out  of  sight  than  her  assumed 
cheerfulness  gave  way,  and  for  a  time  it  was  a  sad-faced 
girl  who  trudged  diligently  onward  toward  duty  and  a 
life  of  toil. 

Gwendolyn  had  delivered  her  message,  and  the  super- 
intendent welcomed  Amy  to  his  office  at  the  mill  with 
a  friendly  nod  and  smile ;  but,  at  that  moment,  he  was 
deep  in  business  with  a  strange  gentleman,  negotiating 
for  a  large  sale  of  carpets,  and  after  his  brief  greeting 
he  apparently  forgot  the  girl.  She  remained  standing 
for  some  moments,  then  Mr.  Metcalf  beckoned  an 
attendant  to  give  her  a  chair  and  the  day's  newspaper. 

Her  heart  sank  even  lower  than  before.  The  superin- 
tendent appeared  a  different  person  from  the  friend  she 
had  met  in  his  own  home.  Her  throat  choked.  She 
felt  that  she  should  cry,  if  she  did  not  make  some  des- 
perate effort  to  the  contrary ;  so  she  began  to  read  the 
paper  diligently,  though  her  mind  scarcely  followed  the 
words  she  saw,  and  would  deflect  to  those  she  heard, 


FACING    HARD    FACTS.  189 

which  were  very  earnest,  indeed,  though  all  about  a 
matter  no  greater  than  one-eighth  cent  per  yard. 

"  How  queer  !  Two  great  grown  men  to  stand  there 
and  argue  about  such  a  trifle.  Why,  there  isn't  any  such 
coin,  and  what  does  it  mean  ?  Well,  I'm  eavesdropping, 
and  that's  wrong.  Now  I  will  read.  I  will  not  listen." 

Running  in  this  wise,  her  thoughts  at  last  fixed  them- 
selves upon  a  paragraph  which  she  had  perused  several 
times  without  comprehending.  Now  it  began  to  have 
a  meaning  for  her,  and  one  so  intense  that  she  half  rose 
to  beg  the  loan  of  the  newspaper  that  she  might  show 
it  to  Hallam. 

"  The  very  thing.  The  very  thing  I  heard  those  doc- 
tors talking  about  in  mother's  room.  I'll  ask  for  it, 
or  copy  it,  if  I  can,  and  show  my  boy.  Who  knows 
what  it  might  do  ?  " 

There  was  a  little  movement  in  the  office.  The  gen- 
tleman in  the  big  top-coat,  with  his  eyeglasses,  his  gold- 
handled  umbrella,  and  his  consequential  air,  was  leav- 
ing. He  was  bowing  in  a  patronizing  sort  of  way,  and 
Mr.  Metcalf  was  bowing  also,  smiling  almost  obsequi- 
ous. He  was  rubbing  his  hair  upward  from  his  fore- 
head, in  a  way  Amy  had  already  observed  to  be  habitual 
when  he  was  pleased.  Evidently  he  was  pleased  now, 
and  greatly  so,  for  even  after  the  stranger  had  passed 
out  and  entered  the  cab  in  waiting,  the  superintendent 
remained  before  the  glass  door,  still  smiling  with  pro- 
found satisfaction. 


ICjO  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

Then,  as  if  he  had  suddenly  remembered  her,  he 
turned  toward  Amy. 

"  Well,  miss,  what  can  I  do  for  you  to-day  ?  I  saw 
you  were  interested  in  our  argument  over  the  fraction 
of  a  cent,  and  I'm  glad  to  tell  you  I  won.  Yes,  I  carried 
my  point." 

The  girl  was  disgusted.  Though  she  liked  to  know 
her  friends  from  every  side  of  their  characters,  she  was 
not  pleased  by  this  glimpse  of  Mr.  Metcalf's. 

He  saw  her  feeling  in  her  face  and  took  it  merrily, 
dropping  at  last  into  the  manner  which  she  knew  and 
liked  best. 

"  A  small  business,  you're  thinking,  eh  ?  Well,  Miss 
Amy,  let  me  tell  you  that  on  this  one  deal,  this  one  sale, 
my  gaining  that  fraction  of  a  cent  means  the  gaining 
to  my  employer  of  several  thousand  dollars.  And  that 
is  worth  contesting,  don't  you  think?" 

"  It  doesn't  seem  possible.  Just  that  tiny  eighth ! 
Why,  how  many,  many  yards  you  must  sell !  " 

"  Indeed,  yes.  The  mills  are  constantly  turning  out 
great  quantities  and,  fortunately,  the  market  is  free. 
We  dispose  of  them  as  fast  as  we  can  finish.  We  could 
sell  more  if  we  could  manufacture  more.  But  this  is  not 
what  has  brought  you  here,  I  fancy.  Tell  me  your 
errand,  please.  I  have  much  to  get  through  with  be- 
fore closing." 

The  return  to  his  business  manner  again  chilled 
Amy's  enthusiasm,  but  she  thought  of  her  father  and 


FACING    HARD   FACTS.  IQI 

what  she  hoped  to  do  for  him,  and  needed  no  other  aid 
to  her  courage. 

"  I've  come  to  ask  a  place  in  the  mill.  I  want  to 
work  and  get  paid." 

"Certainly.  If  you  work,  you  will  be  paid.  What 
makes  you  want  to  do  it  ?  Does  your  father  know  ?  " 

"  He  has  consented.  I  think  he  understands,  though 
he  didn't  seem  to  care  greatly,  either  way.  I  must  do 
it,  sir,  or  something.  It  was  the  only  thing  I  knew  about." 

"  You  know  nothing  about  that,  really.  The  girls 
here  are  from  an  altogether  different  class  than  that  to 
which  you  belong.  You  would  not  find  it  pleasant." 

"  That  wouldn't  matter.  And  aren't  we  all  Ameri- 
cans ?  Equal  ? " 

"  Theoretically.  How  much  do  you  suppose  you 
could  earn?" 

"  I  don't  know.     Whatever  my  work  was  worth." 

"  That,  at  the  beginning,  would  be  not  more  than  two 
dollars  a  week,  and  probably  less.  It  would  be  fatigu- 
ing, constant  standing  in  attending  to  your  'jenny.'  I 
really  think  that  you  would  better  abandon  the  idea  at 
once.  Try  to  think  of  something  nearer  what  you  have 
known." 

Yet  he  saw  the  deepening  distress  in  her  face  and  it 
grieved  him.  He  was  bound,  in  all  honesty  to  her,  to 
set  the  dark  side  of  things  before  her,  and  he  waited  for 
her  decision  with  some  curiosity. 

"  If  you'll  let  me  try,  I  would  like  to  do  so." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

AMY    BEGINS    TO    SPIN. 

"  AX  7"  ELL,    deary,    it's    time.       Oh,    me   fathers,  to 

V  V  think  it !  Wake  up,  Amy,  me  colleen,  me 
own  precious  lamb." 

Six  o'clock  of  a  gray  November  morning  is  not  an 
inspiriting  hour  to  begin  any  undertaking.  Amy  turned 
in  her  comfortable  bed,  rubbed  her  eyes,  saw  Cleena 
standing  near  with  a  lighted  candle  in  her  hand,  and 
inquired,  drowsily  :  — 

"Why  —  what's  happened?  Why  will  you  get  up  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  ?  Don't  bother  me  —  yet." 

"  Faith,  an'  I  won't.  Upon  honor  it's  wrong,  it's  all 
wrong.  What'll  your  guardian  angel  think  of  old 
Cleena  to  be  leavin'  you  do  it!  Body  an'  bones,  I'll 
do  naught  to  further  the  business  —  not  I !  " 

The  woman's  voice  was  tremulous  with  indignation 
or  grief,  and  all  at  once  Amy  remembered.  Then  she 
sprang  from  her  cosy  nest,  wide-awake  and  full  of 
courage. 

"  Hush,  dear  old  Goodsoul,  I  forgot.  I  forgot, 
entirely.  I  was  dreaming  of  Fairacres.  It  was  a  beau- 
tiful dream.  The  old  house  was  full  of  little  children 
192 


AMY    BEGINS   TO    SPIN.  1 93 

and  young  girls.  They  were  singing  and  laughing 
and  moving  about  everywhere.  I  can  hardly  believe 
it  wasn't  real;  but,  I'm  all  right  now.  I'll  be  down 
stairs  in  a  few  minutes.  Don't  wake  anybody  else,  for 
there's  no  need.  Is  it  six  o'clock  already  ?  It  might  be 
midnight  or  —  any  time.  Why,  what's  this  ?  " 
"A  frock  I've  made  for  you,  child." 
"  You  made  a  frock  for  me  ?  Why,  Cleena  !  " 
"  Sure,  it's  not  so  handy  with  the  needle  as  the  broom 
me  fingers  is.  But  what  for  no  ?  Them  pretty  white 
ones  will  never  do  for  the  nasty  old  mill.  This  didn't 
need  so  much.  The  body'll  about  fit,  thinks  I,  if  I  sew 
it  fast  in  the  front  an'  split  it  behind.  The  skirt's  not 
so  very  long.  She  was  a  mite  of  a  woman,  God  rest 
her.  Well,  I'll  go  an'  see  the  milk  doesn't  boil  over,  an' 
be  back  in  a  jiffy  to  fasten  it  for  you.  Ah,  me  lamb ! 
Troth,  a  spirit 's  brave  like  your  own  will  be  prospered, 
I  know." 

Then  Cleena  went  hurriedly  out  of  the  room.  The 
frock  which  she  had  prepared  for  Amy's  use  in  the  mill 
was  remodelled  from  an  old  one  of  her  mistress's.  As 
has  been  said,  Amy  had  never  worn  any  sort  of  dress 
except  white.  The  fabric  was  changed  to  suit  the 
season,  but  the  color  was  not.  Even  her  warm  winter 
cloak  was  of  heavy  white  wool,  faced  here  and  there 
with  scarlet,  to  match  the  simple  scarlet  headgear  that 
suited  her  dark  face  so  well.  Quite  against  the  habits 
of  her  own  upbringing,  Mrs.  Kaye  had  clothed  her 


194  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

daughter  to  please  the  taste  of  her  artist  husband,  and 
therefore  it  had  not  greatly  mattered  that  this  taste 
dictated  a  style  more  fanciful  than  useful. 

Now  everything  was  altered,  and  Cleena  had  con- 
sulted Mrs.  Jones  with  the  result  just  given.  But  from 
a  true  delicacy,  the  faithful  old  servant  did  not  stay  to 
watch  the  girl  as  she  adopted  the  new  garb  which  be- 
longed to  the  new  fortunes,  though  she  need  not  have 
been  afraid. 

For  a  moment  Amy  held  the  gray  dress  in  her  hand, 
feeling  it  almost  a  sacrilege  to  put  it  on.  She  remem- 
bered it  as  the  morning  gown  of  her  mother,  plain  to 
the  extreme,  yet  graceful  and  precious  in  her  sight  be- 
cause of  the  dear  wearer.  Then  she  lifted  the  garment 
to  her  lips,  and  touched  it  lightly. 

"  Mother,  darling,  it  is  a  good  beginning.  It  seems 
to  me  it  is  like  a  sister  of  mercy  putting  on  her  habit  for 
the  first  time.  It  is  a  protection  and  a  benediction.  If 
I  can  only  put  on  my  mother's  beautiful  character  with 
her  clothing,  I  shall  do  well,  indeed."  Then  she  ex- 
amined the  alterations  which  Cleena  had  been  instructed 
by  the  cottager  to  make,  and  was  able  to  smile  at  them. 

"The  new  sewing  and  the  old  do  not  match  very 
well,  but  it  will  answer,  and  it  does  fit  me  much  better 
than  I  would  have  thought.  My !  but  I  must  already 
be  as  large,  or  nearly  so,  as  she  was.  Well,  no  time  for 
thinking  back  now.  It's  all  looking  forward,  and  must 
be,  if  I  am  to  keep  my  courage." 


AMY    BEGINS    TO    SPIN.  195 

Then  she  knelt  beside  her  bed,  prayed  simply  and  in 
full  faith  for  success  in  her  efforts  to  provide  for  her 
beloved  ones,  and  went  below,  smiling  and  gay. 

"Think  of  it,  Cleena  Keegan.  This  is  Monday 
morning.  On  seventh  day  I  expect  to  bring  back  two 
splendid  dollars  and  put  into  your  hands.  I,  just  I, 
your  own  little  Amy.  Think  of  the  oatmeal  it  will 
buy." 

It  was  not  in  Cleena's  heart  to  dampen  this  ardor  by 
remarking  how  small  a  sum  two  dollars  really  was, 
considered  in  the  light  of  a  family  support ;  and,  after 
all,  oatmeal  was  cheap.  Fortunately,  it  also  formed 
the  principal  diet  of  this  plainly  nurtured  household, 
and  even  that  very  breakfast  to  which  the  young  bread- 
winner now  sat  down. 

But  the  meal  was  exquisitely  cooked,  and  the  hot 
milk  was  rich  and  sweet.  Also,  there  lay,  neatly 
wrapped  in  a  spotless  napkin,  the  mid-day  luncheon, 
which  Cleena  had  been  told  to  prepare,  and  which 
Mrs.  Jones  suggested  should  be  of  something  "  hearty 
and  strong"  for  "working  in  the  mill  beats  all  for 
appetite." 

Then  Amy  took  the  big  gingham  pinafore,  that 
Cleena  had  also  prepared,  and  with  her  little  parcels 
under  her  arm,  skipped  away  down  the  slope  to  the 
Joneses'  cottage,  where  Gwendolyn  was  to  meet  and 
escort  her  to  her  first  day's  work. 

"  Pshaw  !    I  thought  you  wasn't  coming.     We'll  be 


196  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

late  if  we  don't  hurry.  Hmm.  Wore  your  white  cloak, 
didn't  you  ?  Well,  I  guess  the  girls  won't  laugh  at  you 
much.  A  dark  one  would  have  been  better." 

"  But  I  have  no  dark  one,  so  it  was  this  or  nothing. 
How  fast  you  walk,  almost  as  if  you  were  running !  " 

"  We'll  be  late,  I  tell  you.  I  don't  want  to  get 
docked,  if  yon  do." 

"  What  is  '  docked '  ?  " 

"Why,  having  something  taken  from  your  wages." 

"  Would  that  be  done  for  just  so  short  a  time  ? " 

"Yes,  indeed.  The  time-keeper  watches  out  and 
nobody  has  a  chance  to  get  off.  To  be  late  five 
minutes  means  losing  a  quarter  day's  wages.  They 
count  off  a  quarter,  a  half,  three-quarters,  or  a  whole, 
according  to  time." 

"Then  Gwendolyn,  let's  run.  I  wouldn't  make  you 
lose  for  anything." 

"All  right." 

When  they  arrived  at  the  mill,  Gwendolyn  said :  — 

"  You  come  this  way  with  me.  Hang  your  cap  and 
coat  right  here,  next  to  mine.  Never  mind  if  the  girls 
do  stare,  you'll  get  used  to  that.  I  felt  as  if  I  should 
sink  the  first  day  I  came,  though  that  was  ages  ago." 
Hello,  Maud,  where  was  you  last  night  ? " 

Amy  did  not  feel  in  the  least  like  "sinking."  She 
had  overcome  her  drowsiness,  and  the  light  was  already 
growing  much  stronger.  She  looked  around  upon  these 
strangers  who  were  to  be  her  comrades  at  toil,  with  a 


AMY    BEGINS   TO    SPIN.  1 97 

friendly  interest  and  curiosity.  Some  of  her  new  mates 
regarded  her  with  equal  curiosity,  though  few  with  so 
kindly  an  interest  as  her  own.  The  unconscious  ease 
of  Amy's  bearing  they  esteemed  "boldness,"  or  even 
"  cheek,"  and  her  air  of  superior  breeding  was  distaste- 
ful to  them. 

"  My,  ain't  she  a  brazen  thing !  Looks  around  on 
the  whole  crowd  as  if  she  thought  she  could  put  on  all 
the  airs  she  pleased,  even  in  the  mill.  Well,  'ristocrat 
or  no  'ristocrat,  she'll  have  to  come  down  here.  We're 
just  as  good  as  she  is  and  —  " 

"  A  little  better,  too,  you  mean,"  commented  a  lad, 
just  passing. 

The  girl  who  scorned  "  'ristocrats  "  paused  in  fasten- 
ing her  denim  apron  and  looked  after  the  youth,  who 
was,  evidently,  a  personage  of  importance  in  the  eyes 
of  herself  and  mates.  They  watched  his  jaunty  move- 
ments with  undisguised  admiration,  and  his  passing 
left  behind  him  a  wake  of  smiles  and  giggles  which 
to  Amy  seemed  out  of  proportion  to  the  wit  of  his 
remark. 

However,  there  was  little  loitering,  and  the  long 
procession  of  girls,  with  its  sprinkling  of  men  and  boys, 
swiftly  ascended  the  narrow  open  staircase  to  the  upper 
floors.  This  staircase  was  built  along  the  side  wall  of 
the  great  structure,  flight  above  flight,  an  iron  frame 
with  steps  of  board.  The  only  protection  from  falling 
upon  the  floor  below,  should  one  grow  dizzy-headed,  was 


198  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

a  gas-pipe  hand-rail ;  and  even  this  might  not  have  been 
provided  had  not  the  law  compelled. 

As  she  fell  into  line  behind  Gwendolyn  and  began 
the  upward  climb,  Amy  grasped  this  slender  support 
firmly;  but  everything  about  her  seemed  very  unlike 
her  memory  of  her  first  visit  here.  Then  the  sun  was 
shining,  she  was  under  the  guidance  of  the  genial 
superintendent,  and  the  scene  was  novel  —  like  a  pic- 
ture exhibited  for  her  personal  entertainment.  Now  the 
novelty  was  past,  the  scene  had  become  dingy,  and  her- 
self a  part  of  it. 

All  around  her  were  voices  talking  in  a  sort  of  mill 
patois  concerning  matters  which  she  did  not  understand. 
But  nobody,  not  even  Gwendolyn,  spoke  to  her,  and  a 
sudden,  overpowering  dismay  seized  her  stout  heart  and 
made  her  head  reel.  Then  she  made  a  misstep  and  her 
foot  slipped  through  the  space  between  two  stairs.  This 
brought  the  hurrying  procession  to  a  standstill,  and  re- 
called attention  to  the  "new  hand." 

"  My  sake  !  Somebody's  fell.  Who  ?  Is  she  hurt  ? 
Oh,  that  donkey  girl.  Well,  she  ain't  so  used  to  these 
horrid  stairs  as  we  be." 

"Hold  back!  She's  sort  of  giddy-headed,  I 
guess." 

Amy  felt  an  arm  thrown  round  her  waist,  a  rather 
ungentle  pull  was  given  her  dangling  foot,  and  she  was 
set  right  to  proceed.  But  for  an  instant  she  could  not 
go  on,  and  she  again  felt  the  arm  supporting  and  fore- 


AMY   BEGINS   TO    SPIN.  1 99 

ing  her  against  the  bare  brick  wall,  so  that  those  below 
might  not  be  longer  hindered. 

Then  she  half  gasped  :  — 

"Oh,  I  am  so  sorry.     I  didn't  mean  —  " 

"  Of  course  you  didn't.  Never  mind.  You  ain't  the 
first  girl  has  had  her  foot  through  these  steps,  and  you 
won't  be  the  last.  After  somebody  has  broke  a  leg  or 
two,  then  they'll  put  backboards  to  'em.  Not  before. 
Is  your  head  swimming  yet  ?  " 

"  It  feels  queerly.     It  jars  so." 

"  That's  the  machinery  and  the  noise.  The  whole 
building  just  shakes  and  buzzes  when  we  get  fairly 
started.  Don't  be  scared.  You're  all  safe.  Lots  of 
girls  feel  just  that  way  when  they  first  come.  Lots  of 
'em  faint  away.  Some  can't  stand  it  at  all.  But  you'll 
get  used,  don't  fear.  I  was  one  of  the  fainters,  and  I 
kept  it  up  quite  a  spell.  The  '  boss '  of  the  room  got 
so  mad  he  told  me  if  I  didn't  quit  fainting  I'd  have  to 
quit  spinning.  So  I  made  a  bold  face  and  haven't 
fainted  since.  You  see,  I  couldn't  afford  to.  I  had  to 
do  this  or  starve." 

By  this  time  Amy's  fright  was  past,  and  she  was  re- 
garding her  comforter  with  that  friendly  gratitude  which 
won  her  the  instant  liking  of  the  other,  who  resumed :  — 

"  Pshaw !  The  girls  didn't  know  what  they  were  say- 
ing. You  don't  look  a  mite  stuck  up.  You  aren't,  are 
you  ? " 

"Indeed,  no.     Why  should  I  be?     But  I  do  thank 


2OO  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

you  so  much  for  your  kindness  just  now,  and  I'm  sorry 
if  my  blundering  has  made  you  late.  Will  you  be 
'docked'?" 

"  Oh,  no.  We've  time  enough.  Gwen  is  always  in 
a  desperate  hurry.  She  likes  a  chance  to  talk  before 
she  begins  work.  She's  a  nice  girl,  but  she  isn't  very 
deep.  Say,  have  you  seen  her  new  winter  hat  ?  " 

"  No ;  has  she  another  than  that  she  wore  this 
morning  ? " 

"  My !  yes." 

The  "old  hand"  and  the  "new"  were  now  quietly 
climbing  to  the  top  floor  where  their  tasks  were  to  be 
side  by  side,  and  Amy  had  time  to  examine  her  com- 
panion's face.  It  was  plain  and  freckled,  boasting  none 
of  that  "  prettiness  "  of  which  Gwendolyn  was  so  openly 
proud,  but  it  was  gentle  and  intelligent,  and  had  a  look 
of  delicacy  which  suggested  chronic  suffering,  patiently 
borne.  Amy  had  not  far  to  seek  the  cause  of  this 
pathetic  expression,  for  Mary  Reese  was  a  hunchback. 
In  her  attire  there  was  as  much  simplicity  as  in  Amy's 
own,  but  without  grace  or  harmony  of  coloring. 

"  You're  looking  at  my  clothes,  aren't  you  ?  Well, 
they're  the  great  trouble  of  my  life.  After  I  pay  my 
board  and  washing,  I  don't  have  more  than  fifty  cents 
left.  I  do  the  best  I  can,  but  I'm  no  hand  with  a  needle, 
and  Saturday-halves  are  short.  I  thought  you  were  the 
loveliest  thing  I  ever  saw,  that  day  you  went  round  the 
mill  with  the  '  Supe.'  " 


AMY   BEGINS    TO    SPIN.  2OI 

"  Oh,  did  you  see  me  then  ?  Did  I  see  you  ?  What 
is  your  name  ?  Ah,  are  we  up  there  already  ?  " 

"You  can  ask  questions,  can't  you?  Yes,  I  saw 
you.  My  name  is  Mary  Reese.  If  you  saw  me,  you 
certainly  didn't  notice  me,  and  I'm  always  mighty 
glad  when  folks  don't  turn  for  a  second  stare  at  my 
poor  shoulders." 

"  Mary,  nobody  would,  surely,"  cried  Amy,  and  flung 
her  arm  protectingly  across  the  deformity  of  her  new 
friend. 

"  You  dear,  to  think  you'd  do  that  when  you  know 
me  so  little.  Well,  there's  many  a  body  touches  my 
hump  '  for  luck,'  but  I  can't  remember  when  anybody 
did  for —  love.  I'm  not  going  to  forget  it,  either.  Even 
a  homely  little  hunchback  has  her  own  power  among 
these  people.  There,  we're  here.  This  is  our  'jenny.' 
I'm  so  glad  we  are  to  work  on  the  same  machine. 
There'll  be  another  girl  on  your  side  till  you  learn ; 
then  she'll  be  taken  off  and  we'll  be  alone.  I'll  like 
that.  Shall  you?" 

"I — think  —  so,"  responded  Amy,  absently,  her 
attention  now  engrossed  by  the  excitement  about  her. 
Girls  were  hurrying  to  take  their  places  before  the  long 
frames  filled  with  reels,  on  which  fine  woollen  threads 
were  being  wound  by  the  revolutions  of  the  machinery 
overhead.  These  reels  whirled  round  so  rapidly  that 
Amy  could  not  follow  their  motion,  and  the  buzz-buzz, 
as  of  a  thousand  bees  humming,  filled  her  ears  and  con- 


2O2  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

fused  the  instructions  of  the  girl  who  was  to  give  her 
her  first  lesson  in  winding  and  "  tending." 

Across  the  great  frame  Mary  nodded  encouragingly, 
but  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Amy  had  never  felt  so  incom- 
petent and  foolish  as  she  did  while  she  was  striving  to 
understand  what  was  expected  of  her. 

"  No,  no,  no ;  you  must  be  quicker.  See,  this  spool 
is  full.  This  is  how.  '  Doffer,'  here  !  " 

The  lad  who  had  created  the  ripple  of  admiration  on 
his  passage  to  this  room,  now  approached.  His  motions 
were  exact  and  incredibly  swift.  It  was  his  duty  to 
remove  full  spools  and  replace  them  by  empty  ones, 
and  he  did  this  duty  for  sixteen  spinning  frames.  See- 
ing the  "  new  hand's  "  astonishment  at  his  deftness  he 
became  reckless  and,  intending  an  unusually  dexterous 
movement,  miscalculated  his  reach,  and  the  result  was 
a  momentary  tangle  among  the  whirling  spindles. 

"Stupid,  see  what  you're  at!"  cried  Amy's  instructor, 
as  by  a  swift  movement  of  her  foot  she  brought  the 
rapidly  circling  frame  to  a  standstill.  "  Now,  you've 
done  it !  " 

"  And  I'll  undo  it,"  he  returned,  casting  a  side  glance 
at  the  stranger. 

"  If  those  who've  worked  here  so  long  make  mistakes, 
I'll  not  give  up,"  she  thought ;  and  Mary  came  round 
from  behind  the  frame  in  time  to  read  this  thought. 

"  Don't  you  mind.  You  see,  we  have  to  be  on 
guard  all  the  time.  If  we're  not,  something  happens 


AMY   BEGINS   TO   SPIN.  2O3 

like  this.  Wait.  While  they're  fixing  those  spools, 
you  watch  me  tie  these  threads.  That's  what  you 
have  to  do.  To  keep  everything  straight  and  fasten 
on  the  new  ends  as  the  old  ones  run  out." 

"  But  I  don't  see  you  '  tie  '  it.     There  is  no  knot." 

"  Of  course  not.  We  couldn't  have  rough  things  in 
the  thread  that  is  going  to  make  a  carpet.  We  just  twist 
it  —  so.  Do  you  see  ?  It  can't  pull  apart,  and  it  makes 
no  roughness.  Try  ;  keep  on  trying ;  and  after  you 
have  practised  awhile,  you'll  be  as  swift  as  swift." 

"  I  feel  as  slow  as  slow.  " 

The  "  new  hand  "  smiled  into  the  eager  face  of  her 
willing  helper,  and  the  poor  hunchback's  heart  glowed. 
That  so  bright  a  creature  should  ever  come  to  be  a 
worker  in  that  busy  mill,  side  by  side  with  her  own  self, 
was  stranger  than  the  strangest  of  the  cheap  novels  she 
read  so  constantly. 

"It  beats  all,  don't  it?"  demanded  Mary,  clasping 
Amy's  little  brown  hand. 

"What,  dear?  What  beats  what?  Have  I  done 
that  one  better?  Do  you  think  "I'll  ever,  ever  be  able 
to  keep  up  my  side  of  the  'frame'  after  this  other  one 
leaves  me  ? " 

Mary's  laugh  was  good  to  hear.  Mr.  Metcalf,  enter- 
ing the  room,  heard  it  and  smiled.  Yet  his  smile  was 
fleeting,  and  his  only  comment  a  reprimand  to  "  Jack 
doffer  "  for  his  carelessness. 

"  It  must  not  happen  again.     Understand  ?  " 


204  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  youth,  humbly. 

Of  Amy  herself  the  superintendent  took  no  notice 
whatever  beyond  a  curt  nod.  She  did  not  understand 
this,  and  a  pain  shot  through  her  sensitive  heart.  Then 
she  reflected  that  he  might  not  have  seen  her. 

"  Do  you  suppose  he  did,  or  that  he  knew  me  ? 
You  see,  I've  always  worn  white  before,  and  maybe 
he  did  not  recognize  me." 

"  Oh,  he  saw  you  all  right.  He  wouldn't  more  'n 
nod  to  his  own  wife,  if  he's  on  his  rounds,  and  full  of 
business.  I've  heard  that  he  was  very  pleasant  outside 
the  mill  and  among  his  folks,  but  I  never  saw  him  any 
different  from  just  now.  Seems  to  me  he  looks  on  us 
like  he  does  the  spools  on  the  spinners.  I  always  feel 
as  if  I  were  part  of  the  machine — the  poorest  part  — 
and  I  guess  you  will,  too.  There,  it's  fixed  and  start- 
ing up.  Hurry  to  your  place  and  don't  get  scared. 
Sallie's  cross,  but  she  can't  help  it.  She  used  to  be  one 
of  the  'fainters.'  Yes;  that's  right.  Now  all  there 
is,  is  to  keep  at  it  till  twelve  o'clock  whistle." 

That  meant  nearly  five  hours  of  the  steadiest  and 
most  difficult  labor  which  Amy  had  ever  undertaken. 
Yet  these  others  near  her,  and  the  crowds  of  spinners 
all  through  the  great  apartment,  appeared  to  take  this 
labor  very  easily,  and  were  even  able  to  carry  on  a 
conversation  amid  the  deafening  noise. 

Amy  watched  so  intently,  and  tried  so  faithfully  to 
do  just  what  and  all  that  was  expected  of  her  that  she 


AMY   BEGINS   TO   SPIN.  2O$ 

did,  indeed,  make  a  rapid  progress  for  one  beginning; 
and  when  the  welcome  whistle  sounded,  she  was  sur- 
prised to  see  how  instantly  every  frame  was  stopped, 
and  to  hear  Mary  saying  :  — 

"If  you  don't  want  to  go  with  anybody  else,  I'd 
admire  to  have  you  eat  your  lunch  with  me." 

"  I'd  like  to,  certainly,  but  I  don't  believe  I  can 
eat.  My  head  is  whirling,  whirling,  just  like  those 
dreadful  spools.  Isn't  it  terrible?" 

"  No,  I  don't  think  so.  I  don't  notice  them  now, 
except  to  make  them  say  things.  But  come  along,  we 
have  a  half-hour  nooning.  We  might  have  a  whole 
hour,  but  most  of  the  hands  like  to  give  up  part  of 
their  dinner-time  every  day  and  then  take  the  afternoon 
off  on  Saturday.  The  'Supe'  doesn't  care,  so  that's 
the  way  we  get  our  'Saturday-half.'  I  sometimes  wish 
we  worked  the  other  way,  but  of  course  we  couldn't. 
If  part  stops,  the  other  part  has  to,  'cause  every  room 
depends  on  some  other  room  to  keep  it  going." 

"Why,  I  think  that's  beautiful,  don't  you?  Like  a 
big  whole,  and  all  of  us  the  needed  parts." 

"  No,  I  don't.  I  don't  see  one  single  beautiful  thing 
about  this  hateful  old  mill.  At  least,  I  didn't  before 
this  morning,  when  you  came." 

Amy  looked  into  Mary's  face  a  moment.  Then  she 
stooped  and  kissed  it  gently.  Small  though  Amy  her- 
self was,  for  her  age,  she  was  still  taller  than  her  new 
friend,  and  felt  herself  far  stronger. 


2O6  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Away  in  another  place  Gwendolyn  and  her  mates 
observed  this  little  by-play,  and  one  girl  remarked :  — 

"  Hmm.  That  settles  Jicr  hash.  If  she's  going  to 
take  up  with  that  horrid  Mary  Reese,  there  won't  any- 
body go  with  her.  Not  a  single  girl,  and  as  for  the 
fellows  —  my  !  " 

To  this  flirtatious  young  person  to  be  ignored  by 
"the  fellows"  meant  the  depth  of  misfortune.  Hap- 
pily, however,  Amy  had  never  hear  the  word  "fellow," 
as  at  present  applied,  and  to  do  anything  for  the  sake 
of  attracting  attention  to  herself  she  would  have  con- 
sidered the  extreme  of  vulgarity. 

Mary  guided  her  to  a  quiet  corner  behind  some  bales, 
and  filling  a  tin  cup  with  water  from  a  faucet,  pro- 
ceeded to  open  her  own  luncheon.  Then  she  watched 
Amy,  who,  almost  too  weary  to  eat,  loitered  over  the 
untying  of  the  dainty  parcel  Cleena  had  made  up.  When 
she  at  last  did  so,  and  quietly  sorted  the  contents  of 
the  neat  box,  she  was  surprised  by  Mary's  astonished 
stare. 

"  What  is  it,  dear  ?     Aren't  you  hungry  ? " 

"Hungry?  I'm  starved.  But  —  see  the  difference. 
It  goes  even  into  our  victuals.  Oh  dear,  there  isn't 
any  use ! "  and,  with  a  bitter  sob,  the  mill  girl  tossed 
aside  her  own  rude  parcel  of  food  and  dropped  her 
face  in  her  hands. 

Girlhood  is  swiftly  intuitive.  The  boarding-house 
lunch  which  the  hunchback  had  brought  was  quite 


AMY   BEGINS   TO   SPIN.  2O7 

sufficient  in  quantity,  but  it  was  coarse  in  extreme,  and 
meats  had  been  wrapped  in  one  bit  of  newspaper  along 
with  the  sweets,  so  that  the  flavor  of  each  article  spoiled 
the  flavor  of  all.  Yet  it  was  the  first  time  that  Mary 
had  rebelled  against  such  an  arrangement. 

Now  it  was  different.  Amy's  speech,  Amy's  manner 
and  belongings,  opened  before  the  slumbering  ambition 
of  the  mill  girl  a  picture  of  better  things,  which  she 
recognized  as  unattainable  for  herself. 

Then  she  felt  again  the  clasp  of  firm,  young  arms 
about  her  own  neck,  and  a  face  that  was  both  smiling 
and  tearful  pressed  close  to  her  own. 

"  You  dear  little  girl.  I  see,  I  understand.  But 
you've  never  had  a  chance  to  try  how  I've  lived  and 
I've  never  tried  how  you  do.  Let's  change.  Yes;  I 
insist,  for  this  once.  You  eat  my  lunch,  and  I'll  eat 
yours.  It  will  do  Goodsoul's  great  heart  no  end  of 
good  when  I  tell  her  about  it,  and  it  will  make  me  com- 
prehend just  how  life  looks  from  your  side.  Remem- 
ber, we're  both  poor  girls  together  now,  and  I  — insist." 

Amy  had  a  will,  as  has  been  remarked.  So,  in  a 
few  seconds,  the  two  lunches  were  exchanged,  and  for 
almost  the  first  time  in  her  life  Mary  Reese  knew  what 
it  was  to  feed  daintily  and  correctly. 

"  It  makes  me  feel  as  if  I  was  straighter,  somehow. 
And  you're  a  dear,  dear  girl." 

"  Thank  you,  of  course  it  does.  I  wouldn't  like  to 
do  anything  that  hurt  my  own  self-respect,  even  in  such 


208  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

a  little  thing  as  eating.  But,  you  see,  I  had  my  darling 
mother.  Now  I've  had  to  let  her  go;  yet  if  you'll  let 
me,  I'll  be  so  glad  to  teach  you  all  she  taught  me.  It 
will  be  keeping  her  memory  green  in  just  the  very  way 
she'd  like." 

"  Teaching  isn't  all.     The  difference  is  born  in  us." 

"  Nonsense.  Think  of  Mr.  Metcalf.  They  say  he 
was  a  foundling  baby,  and  yet  he's  a  gentleman." 

"  Even  if  he  doesn't  speak  to  you  in  work  hours  ?  " 
asked  Mary,  with  a  mischievous  glance  that  would  have 
surprised  her  mill  mates  had  they  seen  it.  Already  the 
leaven  of  kindness  was  working  in  her  neglected  life, 
and  for  the  moment  she  forgot  to  be  upon  the  defensive 
against  the  indifference  of  others. 

"  Even  anything.  But,  hear  me,  Mary  Reese.  Here 
am  I,  as  poor  as  poor  can  be,  but  determined  to  succeed 
in  doing  something  grand.  Guess  what  ?  " 

"I  couldn't  tell.  The  whistle  will  blow  again  in  a 
minute." 

"  I'm  going  to  build  a  Home  for  Mill  Girls,  where 
they  shall  have  all  things  that  any  gentlewoman  should 
have.  I  haven't  the  least  idea  how  nor  when  nor 
where.  But  I'm  going  to  do  it.  You'll  see.  And  you 
shall  help.  Maybe  that's  just  why  God  let  me  come 
here  and  be  a  mill  girl  myself." 

After  a  pause  the  other  spoke.  "  It  seems  queer  to 
hear  you  say  such  things.  Yet  you're  not  what  I  call 
'  pious,'  I  —  guess." 


AMY   BEGINS   TO    SPIN.  2CX) 

"Don't  be  afraid.  I'm  not  goody-goody,  at  all.  But 
it's  the  most  interesting  thing  mother  taught  me :  the 
watching  how  everything  '  happens '  in  life,  like  a  won- 
derful picture  or  even  a  curious,  beautiful  puzzle.  Each 
part,  each  thing,  fits  so  perfectly  into  its  place,  and  it's 
such  fun  to  watch  and  see  them  fit.  Yes,  I  believe 
that's  the  key  to  my  coming." 

For  a  moment  these  girlish  dreamers  clasped  hands 
and  saw  visions.  The  next,  a  whistle  sounded  and, 
still  hand  in  hand,  they  returned  to  their  frame  and  to 
this  toil  which  was  part  of  a  far-reaching  "  plan."  On 
the  way  they  passed  "  Jack  doffer,"  wearing  his  most 
fetching  smile,  and  a  new  necktie,  recklessly  disported 
during  work  hours  for  the  sole  purpose  of  dazzling  the 
bright  eyes  of  the  pretty  "  new  hand." 

Unfortunately  for  his  vanity,  the  "  new  hand  "  never 
saw  him,  because  of  those  still  lingering  visions  of  a 
Home  with  a  capital  H ;  and  oddly  enough,  the  youth 
respected  her  the  more  since  she  did  not.  Later  on 
things  would  be  altered  ;  but  neither  of  them  knew  that 
then. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    BALAAM. 

"  II  /I  E  Gineral  Bonyparty,  come  by !  " 

1 V 1  The  lad  in  the  depths  of  the  cellar  vouchsafed 
no  reply.  He  heard  distinctly,  and  Cleena  knew  that 
he  did.  This  did  not  allay  her  rising  wrath. 

"  The  spalpeen  !  That's  what  comes  o'  takin'  in  folks 
to  do  for.  Ah,  Fayetty,"  she  called  wheedlingly. 

Good  Cleena  had  almost  as  many  titles  for  her 
"adopted  son"  as  her  " childer "  had  for  her.  Each 
one  suggested  to  the  simple  fellow  some  particular 
mood  of  the  speaker.  "  Gineral "  meant  mild  sarcasm, 
and  when  "  Bonyparty  "  was  added,  there  was  indicated 
a  need  for  prompt  and  unquestioning  obedience.  "  Fay- 
etty "  was  the  forerunner  of  something  agreeable,  to 
which  might  or  might  not  be  appended  something 
equally  disagreeable. 

Said  Hallam,  once  :  "  Freely  translated,  '  Fayetty ' 
stands  for  ginger  cookies,  and  sometimes  the  cookies 
must  be  earned." 

The  call  came  the  third  time :  — 

"  Napoleon  Bonyparty  Lafayette  Jimpson,  come  out 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE   OF   BALAAM.  211 

o'  that !  Two  twists  of  a  lamb's  tail  an'  I'll  fasten  ye 
down !  " 

The  reconstruction  of  Fayette  gave  Cleena  plenty  of 
employment,  and  in  one  thing  he  disappointed  her, 
sorely  and  continually :  he  utterly  and  defiantly  refused 
to  work  in  the  mill  or  elsewhere  that  would  bring  in 
wages.  Since  Amy  had  become  a  daily  toiler,  this 
attitude  on  his  part  angered  the  poor  woman  beyond 
endurance. 

Yet  there  was  not  any  laziness  about  Fayette.  No- 
body could  have  been  more  industrious,  or  more  illy 
have  directed  his  industry.  As  long  as  it  was  possible 
to  work  in  the  ground  he  had  labored  upon  the  barren 
soil  of  Bareacre,  and  those  who  understood  such  matters 
assured  the  Kayes  that  they  would  really  have  a  fine 
garden  spot,  when  another  spring  came  round. 

"  Surely,  he  that  makes  the  wilderness  to  blossom  is 
well  engaged,  Cleena,"  Mr.  Kaye  had  remonstrated  once, 
in  his  quiet  way. 

"  Faith,  yes,  master,  but  till  them  roses  bloom  there 
might  be  better  doin',"  she  had  returned.  In  her  heart 
she  respected  Mr.  Kaye's  judgment  less  even  than  the 
mill  boy's,  though  she  veiled  this  contempt  by  an 
outward  deference. 

To-day  was  a  crisis.  For  good  or  ill,  Cleena  had  de- 
termined to  have  the  question  of  wage-earning  settled. 
Either  the  lad  must  go  to  work  and  bring  in  something 
to  pay  for  his  keep,  or  he  must  "  clear  himself  out." 


212  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  D  'ye  mean  it?" 

"  Yes,  avick,  I  means  it !  Up  with  ye,  or  stay  below 
—  for  as  long  as  I  please." 

Fayette  threw  down  his  pick  and  crawled  forward 
through  the  trench  he  was  digging.  The  idle  sugges- 
tion of  Hallam  had  taken  firm  hold  of  the  natural's 
mind,  and  with  a  dogged  persistence,  that  he  showed 
also  in  other  matters,  he  had  now  been  daily  laboring 
upon  the  cross-shaped  excavation  which  was  to  ventilate 
the  cellars  of  "Charity  House."  He  had  made  a  fine 
beginning,  and  so  explained  to  Cleena,  as  his  mud- 
stained  face  appeared  above  the  cellar  stairs. 

"  A  beginnin'  o'  nonsense.  When  all's  done,  what 
use  ?  Sit  down  an'  taste  the  last  o'  the  cakes  me 
neighbor  sent  up.  Here,  you  William,  keep  out  o' 
that !  It's  for  Miss  Amy,  dear  heart.  Four  weeks  an' 
longer  she's  been  up  before  light,  trudgin'  away  as  gay 
as  a  mavis,  with  never  a  word  that  she's  bothered. 
Alanna,  Mister  Gladstone,  what's  now  ?  " 

A  surplus  of  small  Joneses  had  swarmed  over  the 
lower  floor  of  the  house  on  the  hill,  and  their  presence 
was  now  accepted  by  Cleena  with  little  opposition, 
because  of  the  generosity  of  their  parents. 

"True  for  ye,  the  babies  be  forever  under  me  foot, 
but  one  never  comes  atop  the  rise  but  there's  doubled 
in  his  little  fist  the  stuff  to  make  him  welcome.  It  may 
be  a  cake,  or  a  biscuit,  or  a  bowl  o'  milk  even.  It's 
something  for  some  one." 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   BALAAM.  213 

"  The  '  some  one '  is  generally  the  bearer  of  the  loaf, 
or  cake,  eh,  Cleena  ? "  asked  Hallam,  who  was  linger- 
ing in  the  kitchen,  gathering  what  warmth  he  could 
from  the  stove  there.  The  coals  provided  in  the 
autumn  were  long  ago  consumed,  and  out  of  the  scanty 
supply  she  had  been  able  to  procure  since  then,  Cleena 
wasted  little  below  stairs.  In  the  master's  studio  above 
a  fire  was  always  burning,  and  if,  as  he  sometimes  did, 
he  asked  whence  the  supply,  the  faithful  servant  put  his 
inquiry  aside  with  some  evasive  remark. 

He  had  now  work  at  hand  which  engrossed  him 
entirely,  and  to  which  heat  and  physical  comfort  were 
a  necessity.  He  was  painting  a  life-sized  portrait  of  his 
wife,  and  not  one  of  the  household  could  do  aught  but 
wish  him  God-speed  on  so  precious  a  labor. 

Meanwhile,  Hallam  lay  so  silent  upon  the  settle 
beside  the  stove  that  neither  of  them,  Cleena  nor  Fay- 
ette,  noticed  him. 

"  Here  you,  William,  Beatrice,  Belinda,  come  by ! 
Set  yourselves  down  in  the  corner,  yon.  Here's  a  fine 
bag  o'  scraps  for  you  two  little  maids.  Pick  'em  over 
that  neat  your  mother'll  be  proud ;  and,  William,  take 
out  these  things  from  Miss  Amy's  box  till  you  puts 
them  back  as  straight  as  straight.  Sure,  it's  long  since 
herself's  had  the  time,  an'  he's  a  smart  little  gossoon, 
so  he  is." 

The  little  girls  emptied  the  bag  of  pieces  on  the  floor, 
and  sorting  them  into  piles  began  to  roll  them  into  tidy 


214  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

bundles.  Along  with  improving  Fayette,  Cleena  had 
early  set  out  upon  the  same  lines  with  the  small  Joneses. 
Even  William  Gladstone,  the  mite,  was  already  learning 
to  distinguish  between  soiled  hands  and  clean,  and  to 
enjoy  the  latter. 

So  now,  while  she  talked,  Cleena  set  the  child  to  take 
out  and  replace  with  exactness  the  few  treasured  letters 
and  cards,  or  papers,  which  were  Amy's  own,  and  kept 
in  her  big  japanned  box. 

Once,  idly,  Cleena  observed  the  child  lingering  over 
a  square  packet,  like  an  old-time  letter,  sealed  with  red 
wax.  It  was  this  bit  of  color  which  the  little  one  fan- 
cied, and  she  smiled  to  see  his  delight  in  it. 

"  The  blessed  baby !  Sure,  he's  the  makings  of  a 
fine  man  in  him,  so  he  has.  Take  a  look,  Fayetty,  if 
yerself  would  copy  yon." 

"  You'll  let  that  youngster  play  with  your  things  once 
too  often.  He's  a  hider,  Lionel  Percival  says  so." 

"  Humph  !  An'  what  that  silly  heeram-skeeram  says 
means  naught.  Now,  hear  me,  me  gineral.  This  ends 
it.  You  goes  to  work,  or  you  goes  to  play.  Which 
is  it  ? " 

"I  —  I  won't." 

"Which  is  it?"  repeated  Cleena,  sternly. 

The  natural  fidgeted.  In  his  heart  he  was  afraid 
of  his  self-constituted  "mother."  He  had  no  wish  to 
return  to  the  drudgery  of  the  mill.  He  was  wholly 
interested  in  his  cellar-digging.  He  had  heard  tales  of 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    BALAAM.  21 5 

mining,  and  in  some  way  he  had  obtained  a  miner's 
lantern.  This  he  fastened  to  his  "parade  hat,"  and 
wore  to  lighten  his  underground  labors. 

Vague  visions  of  untold  wealth  floated  in  his  dull 
brain.  Somewhere  in  the  world  he  knew  that  other 
men  were  digging  in  other  trenches  for  gold.  He  had 
heard  the  "  boys  "  say  so  often,  and  some  of  them  had 
even  gone  to  do  likewise.  He  had  seen  gold  some- 
times in  Mr.  Metcalf's  office  safe.  Not  much  of  it, 
indeed,  but  enough  to  fire  his  fancy.  All  the  time  he 
toiled  he  was  looking  for  something  round  and  glisten- 
ing, like  the  coins  he  had  seen.  He  was  not  in  the 
least  discouraged  because  he  had  found  none.  There 
was  time  enough,  for  he  had  not  much  more  than 
begun  what  he  hoped  to  complete.  Yet,  as  Cleena 
knew,  he  had  made  a  considerable  opening  under  the 
west  room  and  had  carried  out  many  barrowfuls  of 
earth.  This  he  had  utilized  upon  his  garden,  which 
was  almost  as  interesting  to  him  as  his  mining. 

"Which  is  it,  avick  ? " 

"Must  I?" 

"Troth,  must  ye?  Indeed,  look  here."  Leaning 
over  the  table  she  spread  before  her  charge's  eyes 
a  dilapidated  pocket-book.  It  had  been  the  recepta- 
cle for  the  family  funds,  but  it  was  now  quite  empty. 
Fayette  stared  hard.  Then  he  whistled. 

"  You  don't  say  so !     All  gone  ?     Every  cent  ? " 

Cleena  nodded.     Her  face  was  very  grave.     It  fright- 


2l6  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

ened  the  lad.  He  glanced  toward  Hallam,  apparently 
asleep  on  the  settle,  and  whispered  :  — 

"  Where's  hers  ?     What  she  earns  ?  " 

"  Humph !  That  little !  Well,  it's  gone.  The  last 
week's  wage  to  buy  her  shoes.  Faith,  the  poor  little 
feet!  Steppin'  along  to  her  duty  with  never  a  turn 
aside,  an'  the  holes  clean  through  the  soles.  Oh,  me 
fathers,  that  ever  I  should  see  the  day !  " 

Overcome  by  her  memories  of  far  different  circum- 
stances, Cleena  bowed  her  gray  head  upon  her  arms 
above  the  empty  purse  and  shook  in  suppressed  grief. 
So  faithful  was  she  that  she  would  not  have  counted 
even  her  life  of  value  if  by  sacrificing  it  she  could  have 
restored  unto  her  "  folks  "  the  departed  joy  and  comfort 
of  their  house. 

Fayette  reached  over  and  lifted  the  purse.  He 
was  not  satisfied  until  he  had  examined  it  for  him- 
self. Then  he  rose  and  took  the  lantern  from  his 
hat. 

"  I'll  fetch  some,"  he  said  briefly,  and  turned  toward 
the  door. 

But  Hallam  had  not  been  so  fast  asleep  as  he  seemed, 
and  he  demanded  whither  Fayette  was  bound. 

"It's  nothin'  to  worry  about,  Master  Hal.  Just  a 
little  matter  o'  business  'twixt  me  gineral  here  an'  me- 
self.  Can't  a  body  wear  out  her  shoes  without  so  much 
ado  ? "  she  asked,  thrusting  into  view  her  great  foot  with 
its  still  unbroken,  stout,  calfskin  brogan  upon  it. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    BALAAM.  2 1/ 

Hallam  smiled.  "You  can't  deceive  me,  dear  old 
Scrubbub.  It's  not  you  that's  wanting  new  shoes,  and 
if  Fayette  is  going  millward,  I  am  going  too." 

"  Master  Hal,  what  for  now  ?  An'  what'll  the 
master  be  sayin'  if  he's  wantin'  you  betimes?  Isn't 
it  bad  enough  to  keep  him  content  without  Amy,  let 
alone  yerself  ?  No,  no;  go  up  by.  It's  warmer  in 
the  paintin'  room,  an'  sure  a  body's  still  as  you  can't 
bother  nobody,  even  a  artist." 

But  the  cripple  limped  across  the  room  and  took 
from  a  recess  his  cap  and  the  short  top-coat  he  wore 
when  he  rode  Balaam.  It  was  as  warm  as  it  was 
clumsy,  and  gave  his  slender  figure  a  width  that  was 
quite  becoming.  Like  Amy's,  his  headgear  was  always 
a  Scotch  Tarn,  and  when  it  crowned  his  fair  face  Cleena 
thought  him  exceeding  good  to  look  upon. 

"  Arrah  musha,  but  you're  the  lad  for  me !  An'  after 
all,  no  matter  if  the  winds  be  cold,  a  ride'll  do  ye  fine, 
an'  make  the  oatmeal  taste  sweet  in  your  mouth." 

"  It's  time  something  did.  Oatmeal  three  times  a 
day  is  a  trifle  monotonous.  Heigho !  for  one  of  your 
chicken  pies,  Goodsoul." 

He  was  sorry  as  soon  as  he  said  that.  Not  to  be 
able  to  give  her  "  childer  "  what  they  desired  was  always 
real  distress  to  Cleena.  So  he  laughed  her  regret  away, 
with  the  question  :  — 

"  If  I  bring  home  a  pair  of  fowls,  will  you  cook 
them  ? " 


2l8  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Will  I  no  ?  Fetch  me  the  birds,  an'  I'll  show  you. 
Go  on,  Fayetty,  an'  saddle  the  beast." 

But  Fayette  was  not,  at  that  moment,  inclined  to  do 
this  office  for  the  other  lad.  He  had  resolved  upon  a 
kindly  deed,  one  which  involved  self-sacrifice  on  his 
part,  and  like  many  other  wiser  people  he  was  inclined 
to  let  the  one  generous  act  cover  several  meaner  ones. 

It  was  his  heart's  desire  to  own  Balaam.  If  he  took 
some  of  the  money  which  the  superintendent  was  keep- 
ing for  him  and  gave  it  to  Cleena  for  the  housekeeping, 
he  lessened  his  chance  of  obtaining  his  object  by  just 
that  much.  If  he  gave  Cleena  the  money,  he  wanted 
everybody  to  understand  that  he  fully  realized,  himself, 
how  magnanimous  he  was. 

However,  in  many  respects  Hallam  was  his  hero,  and 
between  the  two  there  had  been,  of  late,  a  little  secret 
which  Fayette  was  proud  to  share.  Each  day  he  would 
ask,  with  extreme  caution  :  — 

"  You  hain't  told  nobody  yet,  have  ye  ? " 

Commonly  the  cripple  would  answer :  "  No ;  nor 
shall  I.  There's  no  use." 

"  Sho !  Yes,  there  is.  Read  it  an'  see.  If  it's  in 
the  paper,  it's  so.  Huckleberries !  You  ain't  no  more 
pluck  than  a  skeeter." 

Then  Hallam  would  reread  the  scrap  of  newspaper 
he  carried  in  his  pocket;  and  each  time,  after  such  a 
reading,  a  brighter  light  shone  in  the  eyes  of  both  boys, 
and  the  foundling  would  observe :  — 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   OF   BALAAM.  2IQ 

"  It's  worth  tryin'.  I  say,  it's  worth  tryin'.  /  ain't 
tired  yet.  Keep  her  up." 

Hallam  knew  the  half-column  of  print  by  heart.  It 
had  been  brought  him  by  Amy,  on  the  day  she  went 
to  Mr.  Metcalf's  office.  She  had  asked  the  loan  of  the 
newspaper,  and  had  received  it  as  a  gift.  She  had  hur- 
ried home,  full  of  enthusiasm,  and  showed  it  to  Hallam. 
He  had  not  been  enthusiastic,  and  had  apparently  tossed 
the  article  aside  as  worthless  to  him.  Amy  was  too 
busy  to  give  the  matter  further  thought,  and  did  not 
know  that  after  she  had  left  the  room  her  brother  had 
read  the  paragraph  a  second  time,  and  had  then  care- 
fully preserved  it. 

Even  now,  as  they  started  for  the  mill,  Fayette 
requested  to  "hear  it  again,"  but  Hallam  declined. 

"  It's  too  cold.  And  if  I  don't  hurry  and  do  what  I 
set  out  to,  I'm  afraid  I'll  back  out." 

"  Is  it  somethin'  ye  hate  to  do  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  it  —     Don't  let's  talk  about  it." 

"Just  the  way  I  feel.  I'd  ruther  live  on  one  meal  a 
day  'n  do  it.  Once  I  give  it  to  her,  I  shan't  never  see 
no  more  of  it.  Oh,  I  know  her  !  She's  a  regular  boss, 
she  is." 

"  Cleena  ?     But  she's  a  dear  old  creature,  even  so." 

"  Oh,  I  like  her.  I  like  her  first  rate.  She's  a  good 
cook  an'  middlin'  good-lookin'.  I  hain't  got  nothin' 
again  her.  They  say,  to  the  village,  how  't  John  Young 
talks  o'  sparkin-'  her." 


22O  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

"What?  Teamster  John?  Our  Cleena  ?  Well, 
he'd  better  not !  " 

In  his  indignation  Hallam  nearly  slipped  from  his 
saddle.  He  did  let  one  of  his  crutches  fall,  and  Fay- 
ette  picked  up  that,  took  the  other,  and  cheerfully 
"  packed  "  them  to  the  end  of  their  journey. 

"Why  not?     His  wife's. dead." 

"  Yes.  But  —  our  Cleena  !  Cleena  Keegan  !  Well, 
there's  no  danger  of  her  encouraging  him.  Between 
her  own  '  folks,'  yourself,  and  the  Joneses,  I  think  she 
has  all  she  can  attend  to  without  taking  in  a  man  to 
worry  with." 

The  subject  was  idlest  village  gossip,  but  it  served  to 
divert  Hallam's  thoughts  from  his  impending  errand, 
and  he  arrived  at  the  office  of  the  mill  in  good  spirits. 
Then  he  remembered  a  saying  he  had  heard  in  the 
community:  — 

"All  roads  lead  to  the  mill,"  and  quoted  it  for  Fay- 
ette's  benefit. 

"  That's  so.  But,  say,  I  hate  that  old  Wingate  that's 
got  it  now.  He  licked  me  when  I  worked  for  him. 
Licked  me  more  'n  once,  just  because  I  fooled  a  little 
with  his  horses.  I  was  bound  out  to  him  from  the  poor- 
farm,  an'  I  run  away.  He  treated  me  bad.  I'm  goin' 
to  get  even  with  him  some  day.  You  watch  an'  see." 

"  Well,  here  we  are.  Is  this  the  office  ?  Will  you  go 
in  with  me  and  help  me  find  the  superintendent?  I've 
never  been  here,  you  know." 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    BALAAM.  221 

"Huckleberries!  Ain't  that  queer?  And  Amy 
comes  every  day." 

Fayette  meant  no  reproach.  His  thoughts  were 
never  profound,  but  Hallam  flushed  and  felt  ashamed. 

"  That's  true.  The  more  disgrace  to  me.  Well,  crip- 
ple or  not,  that's  the  last  time  anybody  shall  ever  say, 
truthfully,  that  my  little  sister  has  set  me  an  example  of 
courage  and  effort.  Hurry  up.  Open  the  door." 

A  moment  later  both  lads  stood  within  the  little  room 
wherein  so  many  big  money  transactions  took  place ; 
and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  speculator  coming  there  had 
felt  greater  anxiety  over  the  outcome  of  his  visit  than 
these  two  whose  "  operations "  were  to  be  of  such  a 
modest  limit. 

"  Boss,  I've  come  after  my  money.  I  want  the  whole 
lot." 

"  Good  day,  '  Bony ' ;  good  day,  Hallam  Kaye,  I 
believe." 

Hallam  bowed,  and  before  his  courage  could  wane, 
replied :  — 

"Yes;  I'm  sorry  to  interrupt  you  in  business  hours, 
but  —  will  you  buy  Balaam,  Pepita's  brother  ?  " 

Before  the  gentleman  could  answer,  Fayette  had 
clutched  Hallam's  shoulder. 

"What's  that?  Did  you  come  here  to  sell  that 
donkey  ? " 

"  I  came  to  try  to  sell  it,  certainly." 

"Then   I'm  sorry   I   ever  touched   to  help  you.     I 


222  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

want  him  myself.  I  come  to  get  my  money  a  purpose. 
My  money  is  as  good  as  his.  He  shan't  have  it.  I'll 
have  it  myself." 

Mr.  Metcalf  interrupted  :  — 

"  But,  '  Bony,'  you  can't  afford  to  keep  such  an  ani- 
mal. It  would  take  all  your  capital  to  pay  for  him. 
Wait.  Sometime,  if  you're  industrious,  you'll  be  rich 
enough  to  have  a  horse  and  carriage.  Indeed,  I  mean 
it ;  and,  yes,  Hallam,  I  will  very  gladly  buy  your  burro. 
I've  wanted  him  ever  since  Amy  let  us  have  Pepita. 
I  —  " 

"  You  shan't  have  him,  then.  You  never  shall.  I 
want  him,  an'  I'll  keep  him.  You  see  !  " 

The  door  opened  and  shut  with  a  bang.  Whether 
purposely  or  not,  it  was  impossible  to  say,  but  in  his 
outward  rush  the  half-wit  brushed  so  rudely  past  Hal- 
lam  that  he  knocked  his  crutch  from  his  grasp,  so  that 
he  would  have  fallen,  had  not  the  superintendent  caught 
and  steadied  the  lad  to  a  seat. 

"  That's  '  Bony '  all  over.  As  irresponsible  as  a  child 
and  ungovernable  in  his  rage.  Yet,  never  fear;  he'll 
be  back  again,  sometime." 

"  But  —  he  has  taken  Balaam.  What  can  I  do 
now?" 

Mr.  Metcalf  walked  to  the  window  and  looked  out. 
There  was  a  dash  of  something  black  disappearing  at 
the  turn  of  the  road. 

"  Humph  !     That's  bad.     He's  taken  the  road  to  the 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    BALAAM.  223 

mountains.  When  his  '  wood  fit '  comes  over  him,  sum- 
mer or  winter,  he  vanishes.  Sometimes  he  is  gone  for 
months." 

"  And  he's  taken  Balaam  with  him, "  repeated  the 
other. 

"Yes;  he  certainly  has;"  but  when  the  superin- 
tendent looked  toward  Hallam  he  was  startled  by  the 
hopeless  expression  of  the  lad's  fine  face. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    FASCINATION    OF    INDUSTRY. 

IT  down,  lad,  and  rest.     It  will  not  be  long  before 
noon,  and  then  I  will  send  for  your  sister  to  come 
here." 

"  Thank  you.     Do  you  think  he  will  stay  long,  this 
time? " 

" '  Bony '  ?  It's  just  as  the  fit  takes  him.  There's 
no  accounting  for  his  whims,  poor  unbalanced  fellow. 
In  some  respects  he  is  clever  and  remarkably  clean- 
handed. In  fixing  parts  of  the  machinery,  I  would 
rather  have  his  help  than  that  of  most  professionals,  he 
is  so  careful  about  the  minutest  details.  Yet,  of  course, 
it  would  be  out  of  the  question  to  rely  upon  him. 
There's  another  thing.  He's  a  most  excellent  nurse. 
For  days  at  a  time,  when  there's  been  sickness  in  the 
mill  village,  he  has  devoted  himself  faithfully  to  who- 
ever seemed  to  take  his  fancy.  His  big,  ungainly  hand 
has  a  truly  wonderful  power  of  soothing.  When  I  had 
rheumatic  fever,  he  was  the  only  person  I  could  endure 
to  have  in  the  room  with  me.  His  step  was  lighter 
even  than  that  of  my  wife,  and  I  really  believe  I  should 
have  died  but  for  his  care." 
224 


THE    FASCINATION   OF    INDUSTRY.  225 

The  superintendent  was  talking,  simply  to  entertain 
and  divert  his  visitor  from  the  lad's  own  present  annoy- 
ance, but  he  little  knew  how  full  of  import  his  casual 
remarks  were  to  his  hearer. 

"Do  you  mean  that  he  is  magnetic?  that  there  is 
something  in  the  claim  he  makes  of  being  a  '  healer '  ?  " 

"  Quite  as  much  as  in  the  claim  of  any  such  person. 
There  are,  of  course,  some  human  beings  so  constituted 
that  they  can  influence  for  good  the  physical  conditions 
of  other  people.  I  am  very  sorry  that  his  present  whim 
has  seized  him.  I  would  like  the  burro,  and  you  would 
like  the  price  of  him.  Well,  all  in  good  time.  Mean- 
while, if  I  can  help  you,  please  tell  me." 

"  There  was  only  one  way  in  which  you  could,  so  far 
as  I  know.  That  was  by  buying  my  pet.  I  —  I  don't 
suppose,"  Hallam  continued,  with  hesitancy,  "that  there 
is  anything  such  a  —  a  useless  fellow  as  I  could  do  to 
earn  money  here  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  about  that.  What  sort  of  work 
would  you  like  ?  " 

"  Any  sort." 

Mr.  Metcalf  went  into  another  room  and  presently 
returned  with  some  oblong  pieces  of  cardboard.  These 
had  a  checked  surface,  and  upon  these  checks  were 
painted  or  stained  partial  patterns,  designs  for  the  car- 
pets woven  in  the  mills. 

"Your  father  is  an  artist.     Have  you  learned  any- 
thing about  his  work,  or  of  coloring  ?  " 
Q 


226  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"Something,  of  course,  though  very  little.  I  would 
not  be  an  artist." 

"  Indeed  ?  But  there  are  artisans  whose  work  is  sim- 
ple, mechanical,  and  reasonably  lucrative.  Our  design- 
ers, for  instance,  make  an  excellent  living.  Do  you  see 
these  numbers  at  the  sides  of  the  patterns  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  They  are  for  the  guidance  of  the  weavers.  The 
threads  of  the  carpets  are  numbered,  and  these  numbers 
correspond.  Therefore,  the  weaver  can  make  his  carpet 
from  his  pattern  with  mathematical  exactness.  We 
require  many  such  copies  of  the  original  design.  If 
you  would  like  to  try  this  sort  of  work,  I  will  give  you  a 
temporary  job.  The  boy  who  usually  does  it  is  ailing, 
and  I  have  allowed  him  a  vacation.  The  wages  are 
small,  no  more  than  Amy  earns,  but  the  work  isn't  diffi- 
cult, and  is  the  only  thing  I  have  now,  suitable  for  you." 

Incidentally  the  gentleman's  eyes  turned  toward  Hal- 
lam's  crutches  leaning  against  the  arm  of  the  chair  where 
he  sat ;  but  instead  of  feeling  humiliated  by  the  glance, 
as  the  sensitive  cripple  often  did,  this  casual  one  fired 
his  heart  with  a  new  ambition.  He  recalled  the  words 
of  the  surgeon,  and  was  no  longer  angry  with  them. 

"  I  will  be  a  man  in  spite  of  it  all,"  flashed  through 
his  brain.  Aloud  he  said  :  — 

"  I  will  be  very  glad  to  try  the  work." 

"  Very  well.     When  can  you  begin  ? " 

"  Now." 


THE   FASCINATION    OF    INDUSTRY.  227 

Mr.  Metcalf  smiled. 

"  All  right.  A  lad  so  prompt  is  the  lad  for  me.  But 
I  had  imagined  another  sort  of  fellow,  —  not  so  energetic, 
indeed." 

"  I've  not  been  worth  much.  I've  been  lazy  and  sel- 
fish ;  but  I  mean  to  turn  over  a  new  leaf.  I'll  try  to 
be  useful,  and  if  I  fail  — I  fail." 

"  But  you'll  not  fail.  God  never  sent  anybody  into 
this  world  for  whom  He  did  not  provide  a  place,  a  duty. 
You  will  succeed.  You  may  even  get  to  '  the  top,'  that 
roomy  plane  where  there  are  so  few  competitors.  I 
want  you  to  count  me  your  friend.  I,  too,  am  a  self- 
made  man.  There  are  few  obstacles  one  cannot  con- 
quer, given  good  health  and  determination." 

Then  once  more  the  employer's  gaze  rested  upon  the 
crutches,  and  his  heart  misgave  him  that  he  had  roused 
ambitions  which  could  not  be  realized.  The  poor  cripple 
was  handicapped  from  the  start  by  his  infirmity. 

Hallam  again  saw  the  expression  of  the  other's  face, 
and  again  it  nerved  him  to  a  firmer  will. 

"  Even  that  shall  not  hinder,  sir ;  and  now  if  you  will 
explain  to  me  the  work,  I'll  make  a  try  at  it  right  away." 

Mr.  Metcalf  placed  the  designs  upon  a  sloping  table, 
at  one  side  the  office,  and  Hallam  took  the  chair  before 
it,  as  requested.  Then  the  superintendent  went  over 
the  system  of  numbering  the  designs,  and  illustrated 
briefly. 

"  Now  you  try.     I'll  watch.     Go  on  as  if  I  were  not 


228  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

here.  If  I  do  not  speak,  consider  that  you  are  working 
correctly." 

Hallam's  intelligence  was  of  a  fine  order,  and  he  had 
always  been  a  keen  observer.  Before  Mr.  Metcalf  had 
finished  his  explanations  the  lad  had  grasped  the  whole 
idea  of  the  work,  and  he  took  up  the  pen  the  gentleman 
laid  down  with  the  confidence  of  one  who  understood 
exactly  what  he  had  to  do. 

"  '  Knowledge  is  power,'  there  is  no  truer  saying," 
remarked  the  teacher,  watching  the  tyro's  eager  efforts. 
"  It's  as  easy  as  A  B  C  to  you,  apparently." 

"  It  seems  very  simple.  I  think  I  would  enjoy  it  bet- 
ter, though,  if  I  could  see  the  application." 

"  How  the  patterns  are  used  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  Come  this  way." 

Which  was  not  by  the  shorter  one  of  the  stairway  on 
the  cliff,  up  which  Fayette  had  once  forced  the  reluc- 
tant Pepita,  but  around  by  the  sloping  wagon  track  and 
into  the  lower  rooms  of  the  great  building.  Already 
the  lad  knew  most  of  these  by  the  descriptions  his  sister 
had  given  him,  but  no  description  could  equal  the  facts. 
As  she  had  done,  so  he  experienced  that  thrill  of  excite- 
ment, as  he  realized  the  mighty,  throbbing  life  all 
around  him,  of  which  the  wonderful  machinery  and 
the  human  hands  and  brains  which  controlled  it  seemed 
but  parts  of  one  vast  whole.  His  eyes  kindled,  his 
cheeks  flushed,  and,  as  Amy  had  done,  he  forgot  in 


THE    FASCINATION    OF    INDUSTRY.  22Q 

his  eagerness  over  the  new  scene  that  others  might  be 
observing  him  and  his  deformity. 

At  the  weavers'  looms  he  was  "  all  eyes  and  ears,"  as 
one  remarked.  Seeing  the  woollen  threads  stretched  up 
and  down,  perfectly  colored  and  looking  like  a  greatly 
elongated  pattern,  gave  him  a  complete  insight  of  the 
task  for  which  he  had  been  engaged. 

"  I  thought  I  understood  it  before.  I  think  I  could 
not  make  a  mistake  now.  A  mistake  would  mean  disas- 
ter wouldn't  it  ? " 

"It  would,"  answered  the  superintendent,  delighted 
to  find  his  new  helper  such  a  promising  aid.  "See, 
here  is  the  pattern.  Watch  the  weaver  awhile,  then 
come  with  me  to  the  '  setting  room.'  There  is  where 
Amy  will  be  if  she  keeps  on  as  industriously  as  she  has 
begun.  I  tell  you  brains  count.  You  are  both  gifted 
with  them,  and  it  should  make  you  grateful  —  helpful, 
too.  I  think  the  least  of  all  a  man's  possessions  that  he 
has  a  right  to  keep  to  himself  is  his  brain." 

Hallam  looked  up  in  surprise.  Amy's  acquaintance 
with  the  superintendent  had  begun  most  auspiciously, 
and  he  had  desired  to  be  considered  her  "  friend,"  even 
as  now  her  brother's.  Yet  since  her  coming  to  work  in 
the  mill,  Mr.  Metcalf  had  not  exchanged  a  dozen  sen- 
tences with  her.  She  saw  him  daily,  almost  hourly. 
He  was  everywhere  present  about  the  great  buildings. 
In  no  department  was  anybody  sure  of  the  time  of 
his  appearance,  yet  not  one  was  overlooked.  This  kept 


23<D  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

the  operators  keyed  to  an  expectancy  which  brought 
out  from  them  their  best,  for  the  approbation  of  this 
observant  'boss'  meant  much  to  each.  Yet  he  rarely 
spoke  in  a  harsh  tone  to  any,  nor  had  any  ever  heard 
him  utter  an  oath.  This,  in  itself,  gave  him  a  distinc- 
tion from  all  other  mill  superintendents  under  which 
most  of  these  operatives  had  served,  and  added,  it  may 
be,  a  greater  awe  to  their  respect  of  him. 

"  I've  been  color  mixer  in  a  carpet  mill  these  forty 
years,  and  Metcalf's  the  only  '  Supe '  I  ever  knew  could 
run  one  without  swearing,"  often  remarked  the  master 
of  the  dyeing  room.  "  He  does  ;  and  a  fellow  may 
count  himself  lucky  to  work  under  such  a  man." 

The  color  mixer,  being  a  most  important  personage 
in  the  institution,  had  influence  among  his  confreres, 
with  good  reason.  His  trade  was  an  art  and  a  secret. 
Like  all  trade  secrets  it  commanded  its  own  price.  He 
was  said  to  enjoy  a  salary  "  among  the  thousands,"  and 
to  have  rejected  even  richer  offers  for  the  sake  of  the 
peaceful  discipline  at  Ardsley. 

Then  the  two  visited  the  "  setting  room,"  where  the 
mill  girls  reached  the  highest  promotion  possible  in 
their  business.  The  "  setting  "  is  the  arrangement  upon 
frames  of  the  threads  of  the  carpet,  perfectly  adjusted. 
A  girl  sits  upon  each  side  the  frame,  which  holds  from 
two  hundred  threads  to  slightly  an  advance  upon  that 
number.  It  is  clean  and  dainty  work,  and  the  operator 
is  fortunate  who  can  secure  the  position.  It  is  the  same 


THE    FASCINATION    OF    INDUSTRY.  231 

"thread"  which,  drawn  over  wires,  in  the  weaver's 
hands,  makes  the  looplike  surface  of  Brussels  carpet- 
ing, which  was  the  only  sort  manufactured  at  Ardsley. 

"You  find  it  fascinating,  don't  you?  So  did  Amy. 
Well,  if  you  work  here,  in  any  department,  you  will 
have  opportunity  to  study  the  whole  science,  from 
beginning  to  end.  But  I'm  to  meet  Mr.  Wingate  in  ten 
minutes  in  his  private  office.  Let  us  go  back." 

Amy,  away  up  on  the  fourth  floor  where  she  worked, 
knew  nothing  of  this  visit,  and  was  a  little  dismayed 
when  she  received  a  summons  to  go  down  "to  the 
'  Supe's  '  room  for  her  nooning." 

She  was  now  alone  with  Mary  at  her  "  jenny,"  and 
had  already  become  so  expert  that  those  who  under- 
stood such  matters  prophesied  she  would  soon  be 
promoted  to  the  "  twisting  and  doubling."  That 
very  morning  the  "boss"  of  their  room  had  said  to 
her:- 

"  We  never  had  a  girl  come  here  who  got  on  so  fast. 
It  mostly  takes  months  to  learn  a  half-machine.  After 
another  three  she  can  mind  both  sides.  That  means 
about  four  dollars  and  a  half  a  week.  Well,  you've 
been  quick  and  faithful,  and  nobody  could  envy  your 
good  luck." 

As  she  picked  up  her  lunch  basket  and  descended 
toward  the  office,  more  than  one  called  after  her  a  good 
wish. 

"  Don't  you  be  scared  of  the  '  Supe.'     If  he  scolds 


232  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

and  you  aren't  to  blame,  just  tell  him  so,  and  he'll  like 
you  the  better." 

"  Maybe  he's  going  to  promote  you  a'ready,  though  I 
don't  see  how  he  could.  I  won't  be  jealous  if  he  does, 
though,"  cried  another  ;  and  Gwendolyn,  the  inquisitive, 
resolved  to  keep  up  Amy's  spirits  by  accompanying  her 
to  the  interview. 

"  But,  Gwen,  did  he  send  for  you  ?  " 

"  No ;  course  not.  If  he  did,  I  shouldn't  feel  so 
chipper.  There  ain't  no  love  lost  'twixt  the  '  Supe '  and 
me." 

"Then  maybe  — 

"  Trash !  I'm  going.  Ain't  I  the  one  that  fetched 
you  here  in  the  first  place  ?  Hadn't  I  ought  to  stand 
by  you,  thick  or  thin  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  answered  Amy,  more  frightened 
by  Gwendolyn's  suggestive  manner  than  by  any  con- 
sciousness of  blunders  made.  Nor  did  she  remind  her 
neighbor  that  for  a  time,  at  first,  while  Amy's  popularity 
had  not  been  determined,  the  other  had  shrewdly  held 
aloof,  waiting  the  turn  of  the  tide.  Fortunately,  this 
had  been  in  the  "new  hand's"  direction,  and  since 
then  Gwendolyn's  attentions  had  been  almost  over- 
powering. 

But,  indeed,  Amy  did  not  even  think  this.  "  Simplic- 
ity, sincerity,  sympathy"  —  she  was  faithfully  striving 
to  make  this  the  rule  of  her  own  life,  and  therefore  she 
could  not  imagine  anything  lower  in  the  lives  of  others. 


THE    FASCINATION    OF    INDUSTRY.  233 

But  she  still  kept  her  frank  tongue,  and  she  gave  it 
rein,  as  the  pair  hurried  office  ward. 

"  Dear  Gwen,  if  you  only  wouldn't  chew  that  gum  ! 
It  makes  you  look  so  queer,  and  spoils  all  the  pretty 
outline  of  your  cheek.  Besides,  I'm  sure  Mr.  Metcalf 
doesn't  like  it.  He  always  frowns  when  a  gum-chewer 
has  to  speak  with  him  about  her  work." 

"  Pshaw,  what  a  fuss  you  are !  There,  then,  though 
that's  the  first  bit  off  a  new  stick,  I've  thrown  it  out 
the  window.  Is  my  cheek  pretty  ?  How  do  you  man- 
age to  see  things  without  looking  ?  I  never  see  you 
take  your  eyes  off  your  frame,  yet  not  a  thing  goes  on 
in  that  room  you  don't  seem  to  hear  or  know." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  unless  it's  because  having 
lived  all  alone,  without  other  girls,  I  love  to  hear  the 
voices  and  see  the  bright  faces.  Oh,  I  do  \ovefolks  ! 
And  it  seems  to  me  that  every  single  girl  in  that  mill  is 
far  more  interesting  than  the  best  story  book  I  ever 
read." 

"  Well,  if  you  don't  beat !     But,  say,  Amy !  " 

"Well?" 

"  I  don't  believe  there's  another  girl  there  would  tell 
me  I  was  pretty  without  saying  something  else  would 
spoil  it." 

"  Oh,  indeed,  there  must  be.  If  it's  the  truth,  why 
shouldn't  one  say  it  ?  But  if  it's  the  truth,  again,  you 
have  no  right  to  deface  the  beauty.  Do  give  up  the 
gum." 


234  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Why  haven't  I  a  right  ? " 

"I  don't  know  why.  I  simply  know  you  haven't, 
any  more  than  I  have  to  be  untidy  or  disagreeable.  I 
never  realized  until  I  came  to  be  always  among  so  many 
people  how  each  one  could  pain  or  please  her  neighbor. 
And  it  seems  to  me  each  of  us  should  be  the  sweetest, 
the  best  natured,  the  truest,  it  is  possible.  Heigho  ! 
I'm  turning  a  preacher,  and  it's  a  good  thing  that 
there's  the  office,  and  I  must  stop.  Brace  your  cour- 
age, Amy,  and  knock  at  the  door." 

She  did  so  and  was  promptly  admitted ;  but  did 
not  see  the  superintendent,  who  thus  served  her,  for  he 
purposely  stepped  behind  the  door,  so  that  her  first 
glance  fell  upon  Hallam  seated  at  the  sloping  table  and 
busily  at  work.  She  caught  her  breath,  regained  it, 
and  rushed  forward  with  a  little  shriek. 

"Hallam!  Hallam  Kaye!  You  here!  you  —  work- 
ing ?  " 

"Yes;  I'm  here.  My  first  day  at  wage-earning. 
Didn't  provide  any  lunch.  Can  you  spare  some  for 
me  ?  Ah,  Gwendolyn,  good  day." 

Then  another  person  appeared  in  the  doorway  —  one 
whom  nobody  present  cared  to  see  just  then,  though 
the  superintendent  stepped  from  his  hiding-place,  the 
mirth  dying  out  of  his  genial  face  as  he  bowed  re- 
spectfully to  his  superior,  Mr.  Archibald  Wingate,  the 
owner  of  Ardsley  Mill  and  of  most  of  the  surrounding 
property. 


THE   FASCINATION   OF    INDUSTRY.  235 

"  Good  day,  Metcalf.  Eh?  What?  Amy?  Hallam  ? 
You  here  ? " 

"Yes,  cousin  Archibald.  We  are  both  here  and 
working  for  you,"  answered  Amy,  quietly.  Then  she 
surprised  even  herself  by  extending  her  hand  in  greeting. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

MOTIVES   AND   MISUNDERSTANDINGS. 

FOR  an  instant  it  seemed  as  if  the  old  man  would 
respond  to  the  proffered  civility ;  but  his  hand 
dropped  again  to  his  side,  and  Amy  had  the  mortifica- 
tion of  one  who  is  repulsed.  However,  she  had  little 
time  for  thought.  The  master  of  the  mill  passed  onward 
into  his  "  den "  and  closed  its  door  with  a  snap. 
On  the  ground  glass  which  admitted  light  through  the 
upper  half  the  door,  yet  effectually  screened  from  ob- 
servation any  who  were  within,  was  printed  in  large 
letters:  — 

"  Private.     No  Admittance." 

Then  the  girl  turned  an  inquiring  face  toward  the 
superintendent,  who  took  her  hand  and  shook  it  warmly. 

"  Allow  me  to  congratulate  you,  Miss  Amy.  You 
have  done  well,  —  famously,  even.  There's  not  been  a 
girl  in  the  mill,  since  I've  had  charge,  who  has  learned 
so  swiftly  and  thoroughly.  What's  the  secret  of  it  ? 
Can  you  guess  ?  " 

She  had  not  been  summoned  for  a  reprimand,  then. 
In  her  relief  at  this,  the  young  operative  scarcely  heard 
236 


MOTIVES    AND    MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  237 

the  question  put  to  her,  and  the  gentleman  replied  to  it 
himself. 

"  I  can  tell  you.  It's  your  untiring  perseverance, 
your  persistent  effort  to  do  your  best,  without  regard  to 
anything  or  anybody  about  you.  If  all  our  girls  would 
take  example  by  you,  promotions  would  be  more  fre- 
quent." 

Gwendolyn  resented  the  glance  with  which  the  super- 
intendent now  favored  her,  and  Amy  would  have  pre- 
ferred not  to  be  so  openly  praised.  She  drew  a  chair 
to  the  table  where  Hallam  sat,  and  hastily  spread  her 
luncheon  upon  it. 

"  Come,  Gwendolyn,  bring  yours.  While  we're  eat- 
ing, Hal  shall  tell  us  what  this  all  means." 

He  did  so,  rapidly,  and  between  mouthfuls,  for  the 
half-hour's  nooning  had  already  been  cut  short  by  the 
unexpected  meetings;  and  when  the  whistle  sounded 
and  the  girls  hurried  back  to  their  room,  Amy  carried  a 
very  thoughtful  face. 

"  Why,  what  a  funny  girl  you  are !  You  look  as  if 
you'd  been  scolded,  after  all,  'stead  of  praised  and 
promised  promotion.  What's  wrong  ?  " 

"  Fayette.  To  think  he  could  run  away  with  Balaam, 
after  all  we  —  or  Cleena  has  done  for  him.  Of  course, 
he's  done  things  for  us,  too ;  but  I  thought  if  we  were 
kind  to  him,  and  made  him  feel  that  he  was  dear  to 
somebody,  he  would  improve  and  grow  a  splendid  man." 

" '  Can't  make  a  purse  out  of  a  pig's  ear,'  "  quoted 


238  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

Gwendolyn,  seriously.  "  But  don't  you  fret.  He'll  be 
back  again,  as  humble  as  a  lamb.  You  couldn't  dog 
him  away  from  '  Charity  House,'  I  believe.  He's  been 
just  wild  over  you  all  ever  since  he  first  saw  you  and 
your  white  burro.  Say,  Amy,  I'm  going  to  try  and  not 
chew  any  more.  Your  brother  don't  like  it,  does  he, 
either  ? " 

"  No  ;  he  detests  it.  He  doesn't  like  anything  that 
is  unwomanly  or  coarse." 

Then  they  separated,  but  in  the  heart  of  each  was  a 
fresh  determination  :  in  Gwendolyn's  that  she  would 
make  herself  into  a  "real  lady,"  according  to  the  stand- 
ard of  this  brother  and  sister  whom  she  admired,  or  saw 
admired  of  others ;  and  in  Amy's,  to  better  deserve  the 
encouragement  of  her  employers,  and  to  support  Hallam 
to  the  utmost  in  his  new  ambition. 

But  as  she  resumed  her  work  she  reflected,  with  much 
perplexity  :  "  I  don't  understand  yet  why  Mr.  Metcalf 
is  so  delightful  out  of  mill  and  so  different  here ;  nor 
why  cousin  Archibald  still  persists  in  being  unfriendly, 
since  he  has  gotten  everything  he  wants." 

But  she  was  still  too  ignorant  of  life  to  know  that  it 
is  commonly  the  inflicter  of  an  injury  who  shows  ill 
feeling,  and  not  the  recipient  of  it. 

The  afternoon  passed  swiftly,  as  all  her  days  did  now, 
and  at  the  signal  for  leaving  labor,  both  the  girls  hurried 
to  don  their  outer  things  and  join  Hallam.  But  Amy 
had  still  a  word  for  Mary. 


MOTIVES    AND    MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  239 

"  To-morrow  is  half-holiday,  you  know,  dear,  and  I've 
talked  with  Cleena.  She  wishes  you  to  come  and 
spend  the  night  at  '  Charity  House/  and  we'll  fix  things 
about  that  club  all  right." 

"  What's  that  about  a  club  ?  "  asked  another  girl, 
noticing  how  the  hunchback's  face  brightened.  "  Are 
you  two  going  to  join  ours  ?  " 

"  Maybe ;  maybe  not.  Maybe  we'll  compromise  and 
have  but  one.  Though  we  can  do  little  until  after 
Christmas,  it's  so  near  now." 

"  Oh,  don't  get  up  another.  We  have  just  lovely 
times  in  ours.  All  the  boys  come  and  —  but  I'll  not 
tell.  I'll  leave  you  to  see.  They  wanted  I  should  ask 
you,  and  your  brother,  too.  He's  real  nice  looking, 
'  Jack  doffer '  says,  even  if  he  is  lame." 

Amy's  cheek  burned,  and  her  quick  temper  got  her 
into  trouble. 

"  My  brother  Hallam  is  a  very,  very  handsome  boy. 
Even  with  his  lameness  he's  a  thousand  times  better 
looking  than  any  boy  in  this  mill,  and  what's  more, 
he's  a  gentleman  !  " 

Then  this  champion  of  the  aristocracy,  which  she 
thought  she  disdained  but  now  discovered  she  was 
proud  to  call  her  own  class,  walked  off  with  her  nose 
in  the  air  and  her  dark  eyes  glittering  with  an  angry 
light. 

"  There,  now  you've  done  it !  "  cried  Gwendolyn, 
in  amazement.  "  But  ma  said  it  wouldn't  last.  She 


24O  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

says  that's  the  way  with  all  the  heroines  in  her  novels 
that  lose  their  money  and  pretend  to  be  just  plain  folks 
afterward.  They  never  are.  They're  always  'risto- 
cratics  an'  they  can't  help  it." 

"  Oh,  well,  they  shouldn't  try,"  remarked  this  young 
"  heroine,"  fiercely.  "  I  don't  care  at  all  what  they 
say  about  me,  but  they'd  best  let  my  Hal  alone." 

"  Hoity-toity,  I  don't  see  as  he's  any  better  than 
anybody  else." 

Amy  stopped  short  on  the  path  from  the  mill  to  the 
ladder  upon  the  bluff.  Suddenly  she  reflected  how  her 
mother  would  have  regarded  her  present  mood.  "  He 
that  ruleth  his  own  spirit." 

The  words  seemed  whispered  in  her  ear.  A  moment 
later  she  turned  and  spoke  again,  but  her  voice  was  now 
gentle  and  appealing. 

"  Yes,  he  is  better,  though  I'm  not.  He  is  better 
because  he  is  just  what  he  seems.  There  is  no  pre- 
tence about  him.  He  doesn't  think  that  plastering  his 
hair  with  stuff,  and  wearing  ugly,  showy  clothes,  and 
a  hat  on  the  back  of  his  head,  or  swaggering,  or  smok- 
ing nasty  cigarettes,  or  being  insolent  to  women,  are 
marks  of  a  gentleman.  He's  the  real  thing.  That's 
what  Hal  is,  and  that's  why  I'm  so  proud  of  him,  so  — 
so  touchy  about  him." 

"Amy,  what  does  make  a  gentleman,  anyway,  if  it 
isn't  dressing  in  style  and  knowing  things  ?  " 

"It's  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world;  it's  just  being 


MOTIVES   AND   MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  24! 

kind  out  of  one's  heart  instead  of  one's  head.  It's 
being  just  as  pure-minded  and  honest  as  one  can  be, 
and  —  believing  that  everybody  else  is  as  good  or  a 
little  better  than  one's  self.  So  it  seems  to  me." 

"  We  are  different,  then.  I  never  should  know  how 
to  say  such  things.  I  don't  know  how  to  think  them. 
It  isn't  any  use.  You  are  you,  and  I  am  me,  and  that 
ends  it." 

Amy  did  not  even  smile  at  the  crooked  grammar. 
This  was  the  old  cry  of  Mary,  too,  and  it  hurt  her. 

"Oh,  Gwen,  I  am  so  sorry.  It  is  of  use.  There 
isn't  any  difference,  really.  We  are  both  girls  who 
have  to  earn  our  living.  Our  training  has  been  dif- 
ferent, that  is  all.  I  want  to  know  all  you  know ;  I 
want  you  to  know  all  I  do.  I  want  to  be  friends;  oh, 
I  want  to  be  friends  with  every  girl  in  the  world !  " 

"Pshaw!  do  you?  Well,  I  don't.  I  don't  want 
but  a  few,  and  I  want  them  to  be  stylish  and  nice. 
You'd  have  a  lot  of  style  if  you  could  dress  different." 

Poor  Amy.  This  was  like  a  dash  of  cold  water  over 
her  enthusiasm.  Just  when  she  fancied  that  Gwen- 
dolyn was  aspiring  to  all  that  was  noble  and  uplifting, 
down  she  had  dropped  again  into  that  idea  of  "style" 
and  fashion  and  good  times.  But  she  remembered  Mary. 
In  the  soul  of  that  afflicted  little  mill  girl  was,  indeed, 
a  true  ambition,  and  she  felt  glad  again,  from  thoughts 
of  her. 

"  Hallam,  how  can  you  climb  all  the  way  to  '  Charity 


242  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

House '  ?  You  will  drop  by  the  way.  It's  hard,  even 
for  me." 

"  I  can  do  it.  I  must.  There  is  nothing  else  to  be 
done." 

So  they  set  out  together,  through  the  darkness.  The 
days  were  at  the  shortest,  and  Christmas  would  come 
the  following  week.  Hallam  and  Amy  looked  forward 
with  dread  to  the  festival,  remembering  their  mother 
had  striven,  even  under  disadvantages,  to  keep  the 
holiday  a  bright  one  for  her  children.  There  had 
never  been  either  many  or  costly  gifts  at  Fairacres, 
but  there  had  been  something  for  each  and  all ;  and 
the  home-made  trifles  were  all  the  dearer  because 
Salome's  gentle  fingers  had  fashioned  them. 

Now  Gwendolyn  was  full  of  anticipation,  and  from  her 
talk  about  it  her  neighbors  judged  she  meant  to  expend 
a  really  large  sum  of  money  in  presents  for  her  friends. 

"  But,  Gwendolyn,  how  can  you  buy  all  these  things  ? 
You  told  me  you  earned  about  five  dollars  a  week,  and 
you've  bought  so  many  clothes;  and — I  guess  I'm  not 
good  at  figures.  My  poor  little  two  dollars  and  a  half, 
that  I  get  now,  wouldn't  buy  a  quarter  of  all  you  say." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  Mis'  Hackett,  she  charges  it. 
I  always  run  an  account  with  her." 

"You?  a  girl  like  you  ?  What  is  your  mother  think- 
ing about  ?  I  thought  to  buy  a  wheel  that  way  was 
queer ;  but  how  dare  you  ? " 

"  Why,  I'm  working  all  the  time,  ain't  I  ?     Anybody 


MOTIVES    AND    MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  243 

that  has  regular  work  can  get  anything  they  want  at 
Mis'  Hackett's,  or  other  places,  too.  Ma  and  pa  do  the 
same  way." 

"But  —  that's  debt.  It  must  be  horrible.  It  seems 
like  going  out  of  one  debt  into  another  as  fast  as  you 
can.  Oh,  Gwen,  don't  do  it." 

"  Pshaw  !  that  isn't  anything.  Why,  look  here,  that's 
the  very  way  your  own  folks  did.  If  they  hadn't  been 
in  debt,  they  wouldn't  have  had  to  move  from  Fair- 
acres,  and  all  that.  Would  they  ?  " 

Both  Hallam  and  Amy  were  silent.  The  keen  com- 
mon sense  of  the  mill  girl  had  struck  home,  and  again 
Amy  realized  that  her  vocation  was  not  that  of  "  preach- 
ing." Finally,  the  cripple  spoke:  — 

"  It's  like  it,  yet  it  isn't.  We  had  something  left  to 
pay  our  debts.  It  wasn't  money,  but  it  was  money's 
worth.  We  paid  them.  We  are  left  poor  indeed,  but 
we  haven't  mortgaged  our  future.  That's  all.  But  we 
are  too  young  to  talk  so  wisely.  If  your  parents 
approve,  they  probably  know  best.  Hark !  there  is  a 
wagon  coming." 

They  all  paused,  and  drew  aside  out  of  the  road  to 
let  the  vehicle  pass.  It  was  so  dark  that  they  could 
distinguish  nothing  clearly,  and  the  lantern  fastened  to 
the  dashboard  of  the  buggy  seemed  but  to  throw  into 
greater  shadow  the  face  of  the  occupant.  To  their  sur- 
prise, the  traveller  drew  rein  and  saluted  them  :  — 

"  Hello.     Just  getting  home,  eh  ? " 


244  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

All  recognized  the  voice.    It  belonged  to  Mr.  Wingate. 

"Yes,  just  getting  home,"  answered  Amy,  cheerily. 

"Growing  pretty  dark,  isn't  it?  Hmm,  yes.  Heard 
you  lost  your  donkey,  Hallam." 

"  For  the  time,  I  have,  sir,"  responded  the  lad,  rather 
stiffly.  He  hated  this  man  "  on  sight,"  or  out  of  it,  and 
it  was  difficult  for  him  to  conquer  his  aversion.  All  the 
kindness  he  had  felt  toward  him,  on  the  night  of  Mr. 
Wingate' s  first  unwelcome  visit  to  Fairacres,  had  been 
forgotten  since;  because  in  his  heart  he  believed  that 
his  mother's  death  was  due  to  her  removal  from  her 
home.  Yet  he  wished  to  be  just,  and  he  would  try 
to  feel  differently  by  and  by.  Meanwhile,  his  unused 
strength  was  fast  waning.  He  had  met  with  a  great 
disappointment  that  day,  for  he  was  going  home  empty- 
handed.  He  had  lost  his  beloved  Balaam,  and  he  had 
nothing  to  show  for  it  In  all  his  life  he  had  never 
walked  so  far  as  from  the  mill  to  the  Bareacre  knoll, 
and  even  his  crutches  seemed  to  wobble  and  twist  with 
fatigue.  Amy  had  noticed  this,  and  made  him  pause 
to  rest  more  than  once ;  but  the  night  was  cold,  and  he 
felt  it  most  unwise  to  risk  taking  cold  by  standing  in  the 
wind.  Poverty  was  teaching  Hallam  prudence,  among 
many  other  excellent  things. 

"  None  of  us  can  afford  to  be  sick  now,"  he  reflected. 

"Hmm.  That  half-witted  fellow  ought  not  to  be 
allowed  to  go  free.  He's  done  me  a  lot  of  mischief, 
and  I  guess  he  injures  everybody  who  befriends  him. 


MOTIVES    AND    MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  24$ 

The  last  thing  he  ought  to  be  trusted  with  is  horse-flesh, 
or  mule-flesh  either.  Well,  I'm  going  your  way,  and 
it's  a  tough  pull  on  a  pair  of  crutches.  If  you'll  get  in, 
I'll  give  you  a  lift  as  far  as  the  bars." 

Everybody  was  astonished,  and  everybody  waited  for 
Hallam's  reply  in  some  anxiety.  Amy  knew  his  mind, 
and  she  knew,  also,  that  he  was  very  weary.  She  hoped 
that  he  would  say  :  — 

"  Thank  you ;  I'll  be  glad  to  accept,"  but  his  answer 
was  a  curt :  "  Thank  you ;  I  would  rather  walk." 

"  Very  well.     Suit  yourself." 

The  horse  was  touched  sharply,  and  bounded  up  the 
hill  road  at  an  unusual  pace. 

"  Oh,  Hal,  why  didn't  you  ride  ?     You  are  so  tired." 

"Well  —  because." 

"  You'd  better.  Old  man  don't  like  to  have  his  favors 
lost,"  remarked  Gwendolyn.  "  I've  heard  lots  say  that, 
even  though  he  hasn't  been  at  Ardsley  so  very  long." 

Now,  in  the  lad's  heart,  besides  his  unwillingness  to 
"  accept  favors  from  an  enemy,"  there  had  been  another 
motive.  Until  that  evening  he  had  not  realized  how 
lonely  and  dark  was  the  homeward  walk  for  his  sister, 
after  her  long  day  of  toil,  and  even  with  the  company 
of  Gwendolyn.  In  this  his  first  experience  it  had  come 
upon  him  with  a  shock,  that  it  was  neither  pleasant 
nor  safe  for  Amy,  and  he  resolved  she  should  never 
again  be  left  without  his  escort,  if  he  were  possibly  able 
to  be  with  her. 


246  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

But  he  could  not,  or  felt  that  he  could  not,  tell  this 
to  the  girls ;  much  less  to  Mr.  Wingate,  finding  it  easier 
to  be  misjudged  than  to  explain.  Yet  had  the  mill 
owner  known  the  fact,  it  would  have  gone  far  toward 
propitiating  him,  and  toward  rousing  his  admiration  for 
his  young  kinsman. 

So  with  the  best  intentions  all  around,  the  breach 
between  Fairacres  and  "Charity  House"  was  duly 
widened. 

The  trio  of  mill  workers  trudged  wearily  upward,  and 
the  mill  master  hurried  recklessly  through  the  gloom 
toward  a  home  he  had  coveted,  but  found  a  lonely, 
"  ghost-haunted  "  solitude.  For  though  there  are  no 
real  spectres  to  frighten  the  eye,  there  are  memories 
which  are  sadder  to  face  than  any  "  haunt "  would  be. 

"  Stir  up  the  fire,  man.  Don't  you  know  it's  a  bitter 
night  outside  ? "  he  cried,  as  he  entered  it. 

The  master's  tone  boded  ill  for  the  servant  if  obedi- 
ence were  not  prompt.  So  though  a  great  blaze  roared 
upon  the  wide  hearth  in  the  old  room  where  we  first 
met  this  gentleman  he  was  not  content,  nor  was  the 
good  dinner  which  followed  appreciated.  Nothing  was 
right  that  night  for  Archibald  Wingate. 

Nothing?  Yes,  one  thing  gave  him  great  satisfac- 
tion, so  that,  late  in  the  evening,  sitting  before  the 
blaze  he  had  complained  of,  he  rubbed  his  hands  with 
a  quiet  glee. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  there's  a  black  donkey  wandered 


MOTIVES   AND    MISUNDERSTANDINGS.  247 

into  the  place  to-night.  It  went  straight  to  the  stable 
and  to  one  of  the  box  stalls  on  the  west.  It  seemed 
to  know  the  way.  The  stable  boy  says  it's  one  of  them 
belonged  to  the  —  the  folks  was  here  before  we  came. 
I  thought  you'd  like  to  know,  sir ;  and,  if  you  please, 
is  it  to  remain  ?  " 

"Yes,  Marshall,  it  is  to  remain." 

And  again  the  old  gentleman  smiled  into  the  danc- 
ing flames  and  rubbed  his  smooth  palms. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

IN    THE    OLD    HOME. 

AFTER  one  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  before  Christ- 
mas was  a  mill  holiday ;  and  while  the  great  looms 
were  silent,  those  who  usually  toiled  at  them  took  their 
way  into  Wallburg  city  to  do  their  Christmas  shopping. 
Though  a  few,  indeed,  were  able  to  satisfy  their  needs 
at  the  local  stores,  and  among  these,  for  once,  was 
Gwendolyn.  She  had  come  up  the  knoll  after  dinner 
hour,  to  invite  Amy's  presence  at  the  gift  buying,  and 
concluded  her  invitation  by  saying  :  — 

"  Even  if  you  won't  get  anything  yourself,  you  might 
come  and  look  at  the  pretty  things.  It's  surprising 
how  many  you  find  you  can  pick  out  in  a  few  minutes. 
They've  the  loveliest  dolls  there  't  I'm  going  to  get  for 
Beatrice  and  Belinda.  Victoria's  so  big  she's  outgrown 
doll  —  " 

Cleena  could  hold  her  tongue  no  longer. 

"  Toys,  is  it,  alanna !     Better  be  shoes  for  their  feet ; 

an'  as  for  Queen  Victory  an'  her  dolls,  more's  the  shame 

to  you  as  sets  her  the  example  o'  growin'  up  before  her 

time.     Vases    for  the  mother,   is  it?    An'   she   after 

248 


IN    THE    OLD    HOME.  249 

patchin'  the  sheets  off  her  bed.  Pardon  unasked  advice, 
which  same  is  unsavory,  belike,  an'  get  the  makin'  of  a 
new  pair.  That's  sense,  so  it  is." 

It  was  sense.  As  such  it  commended  itself  to 
Gwendolyn,  during  her  walk  to  the  village,  and  bore 
results  for  the  comfort  of  her  family ;  for  though  she 
did  run  in  debt  to  make  her  Christmas  gifts,  at  least 
she  now  altered  her  usual  habit  completely,  and  for 
each  member  of  the  household  provided  some  article 
of  use.  Even  Mrs.  Hackett  paused  in  her  busy  attend- 
ance upon  the  crowd  of  customers  to  remark  :  — 

"  Well,  now,  Gwen,  that's  a  good  plan.  I  guess  your 
folks  will  be  proud  of  what  you're  giving  them  this 
year.  Yes,  I'm  more  'n  willing  to  trust  you  for  'em. 
A  girl  that'll  spend  her  money  as  you  are,  isn't  going 
to  cheat  me  in  the  long  run.  Yes,  the  wagon'll  be 
going  out  late  to-night  and  will  fetch  'em  all  for  you. 
Flannel  and  sheeting  and  such  are  a  mighty  sight 
heavier  to  carry  than  notions.  But  say,  I'll  put  in  a 
little  candy  for  the  youngsters,  seeing  they're  disap- 
pointed of  their  dolls. 

Meanwhile,  up  at  "  Charity  House,"  Amy  had  drawn 
Cleena  into  a  corner  to  discuss  their  own  plans,  and 
especially  to  ask  concerning  a  proposed  trip  to  the  city, 
by  her  father,  and  immediately  after  the  holidays. 

"  You  know,  Goodsoul,  that  he  hasn't  been  there 
alone  in  a  long  time.  Is  it  safe  for  him  to  go  now  ? 
If  he  should  have  one  of  his  attacks,  what  would  hap- 


25O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

pen?  Should  Hallam  go  with  him?  and  —  worst  of 
all — how  can  we  spare  the  money?" 

"  Faith,  Miss  Amy,  I'd  leave  the  master  be.  It's  the 
fine  sense  he's  gettin'  the  now.  It  would  hearten  the 
mistress  could  she  see  how  he  does  be  pickin'  up. 
Always  that  gentle  I  d'  know,  as  if  the  sorrow  had 
been  a  broom  sweepin'  his  soul  all  free  of  the  moilder 
an'  muss  was  in  it  long  by.  Only  yesternight,  whilst 
I  was  just  washin'  off  me  table  afore  layin'  me  cloth, 
into  the  kitchen  he  steps  an'  sits  himself  down  by  the 
door,  lookin'  out  toward  Fairacres.  It  was  as  soft  as 
summer,  like  it  is  this  eve,  but  faith !  a  '  green  Christ- 
mas makes  a  fat  graveyard.'  " 

The  very  word  made  them  both  silent  for  a  moment, 
and  then  Amy  resumed  :  — 

"  Father  has  packed  up  a  half  a  dozen  or  more  of  his 
small  canvases,  studies  of  heads  most  of  them  are,  I 
believe,  and  all  are  unframed.  What  do  you  suppose 
he  means  to  do  with  them  ? " 

"  Sell  them.     What  for  no  ? " 

"  But  mother  never  liked  to  have  him.  These  are  all 
pictures  he  did  long  ago." 

"  The  quicker  they'll  go  off  the  hand  then." 

"  Do  you  approve  ?  " 

"With  all  me  heart." 

Amy  dropped  her  face  on  her  palms  and  considered 
the  matter.  Even  with  her  habit  of  dealing  with  facts 
rather  than  fancies,  she  still  found  life  a  most  perplex- 


IN   THE    OLD    HOME.  2$  I 

ing  and  complex  affair.  The  only  help  she  gained 
toward  understanding  it  was  that  clew  taught  her  by 
her  mother  of  matching  the  days  and  the  events  as  one 
matches  a  fascinating  puzzle.  Out  of  this  thought  she 
spoke  at  last,  though  quite  to  the  bewilderment  of  hon- 
est Cleena. 

"  It  seems  as  if  our  losing  all  that  belonged  to  us 
were  making  us  sturdier  folks,  improving  us  all. 
Mother  needed  no  improvement,  so  she  hadn't  to  face 
the  battle  long.  Well,  one  thing  I  know,  she  would 
be  glad  for  us  all,  and  some  way  I  feel  her  very  near 
to-day.  Only,  if  I  could  just  talk  with  her  and  ask 
her  things." 

"  Sure  ye  can,  me  colleen.  I  mind  it's  no  far  to  the 
land  where  she's  gone.  But  about  the  money.  See 
here  ;  how  got  I  this  ?  " 

And  Cleena  whipped  out  a  handkerchief  from  her 
jacket  pocket  and  unfolded  it  with  utmost  care.  In 
this  were  a  number  of  silver  pieces,  from  half-dollars  to 
dimes,  and  added  together  made  the  "smart  decent 
sum  "  of  five  dollars  and  fifteen  cents. 

"  Why,  Cleena !  Where  ?  I  thought  all  ours  was 
spent  as  soon  as  earned." 

"  Where  ?  An'  I  to  be  mendin'  a  few  clothes  for  me 
neighbors.  Even  that  man  John  fetches  me  a  blouse 
now  an'  again,  to  put  in  a  fresh  pair  o'  sleeves  or  set 
on  a  button  that's  missin'.  Sure,  ye  didn't  think 
Cleena  was  one  would  be  leavin'  her  childer  bring  in  all 


252  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

the  wage.  Only  —  "  and  the  good  creature's  fine  face 
clouded  dismally. 

Amy's  arms  were  around  the  other's  neck,  and  her 
soft  cheek  pressed  against  the  shoulder  that  had  borne 
so  many  burdens  for  her  and  hers. 

"  Only  what,  you  darling  Scrubbub  ?  " 

"  Only  I  was  mindin'  to  buy  a  few  trinkets  for  you 
an'  Master  Hal.  Tis  Christmas  comes  but  once  a  year, 
an'  sure  me  heart  should  give  good  cheer  — 

"  Cleena,  Cleena  !     A  poet !     What  next  ?  " 

"  Arrah  musha,  no  !  Not  one  o'  them  sort.  But  it's 
in  the  air,  belike.  Christmastide  do  set  the  blood 
running  hitherty-which.  So  they  say  in  old  Ireland. 
It's  this  way,  me  darling.  Gifts  for  you  an'  Hal  —  or 
the  trip  to  town  for  the  master.  Which,  says  you  ? 
For  here's  the  silver  will  pay  either  one,  an'  it's  you  an' 
him  shall  decide." 

"  Then  it's  decided  already.  At  least,  I'm  sure 
Hallam  will  so  agree  when  he  comes  in.  You  know  he's 
stopped  at  Mr.  Metcalf's  to  see  some  books  on  design- 
ing. Hallam  thinks  that  either  he  might  learn  to  do  it 
or  that  perhaps  even  father  might  give  some  odd  mo- 
ments to  it,  though  I  don't  know  as  he  would  hardly 
dare  propose  it.  The  idea  was  Mr.  Metcalf's,  and  he 
hasn't  much  'sentiment'  about  him.  He  said  that  if 
there  was  any  way  in  which  father  could  make  a  living, 
he  would  be  happier  if  so  employed.  It  sounded  dread- 
ful to  me  at  first,  and  then  it  seemed  just  sensible." 


IN    THE    OLD    HOME.  253 

"  That  last  it  was,  and  so  I  b'lieve  the  master'll  say 
himself.  But  child,  child,  you  do  be  gettin'  too  sober 
notions  into  your  bonny  head.  Oh,  for  that  Balaam  the 
spalpeen  stole !  But  since  ye  can't  ride,  why  then  it's 
aye  ye  must  walk.  Either  way,  get  into  the  open. 
There's  not  many  such  a  day  'twixt  now  and  Easter. 
Away  with  ye !  Haven't  I  me  pastry  to  make  an' 
to-morrow  Christmas  ?  Go  where  ye've  no  thought,  an' 
let  the  spirit  carry  ye.  Then  there'll  be  rest.  But  be 
home  by  nightfall,  mind." 

"Cleena,  you  dear,  the  kindest,  truest,  best  woman 
left  in  this  world  !  " 

"  Indeed,  that's  sweet  decent  speech,  me  dear ;  but 
seein'  your  '  world's '  no  bigger  nor  Ardsley  township, 
I  'low  I'll  not  be  over  set  up  by  that  same.  Run  away, 
child,  run  away  !  " 

"  Cleena,  you're  watching  down  the  road.  Why  ? 
Why  ?  —  I  demand ;  and  you  talk  of  pastry,  the  which 
hasn't  been  in  "Charity  House"  since  we  came  to  it,  save 
and  except  that  dried  apple  pie  sent  in  by  Mrs.  Jones." 

"  Ugh  ! "  cried  Cleena,  making  a  face  of  contempt. 
"  The  match  o'  that  good  soul's  pastry  for  hardness  an' 
toughness  isn't  found  this  side  of  the  Red  Sea." 

"Cleena,  is  that  old  John  coming  here  to-day?  Is 
it  he  you  are  watching  for  ?  " 

"  Why  for  no  ?  If  a  man's  more  nor  his  share  an' 
nobody  to  cook  it,  why  shouldn't  he  be  a  bringin'  it  up 
an'  lettin'  a  body  fix  it  eatable  ?  Sure,  it's  John  himself. 


254  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

Ye're  too  sharp  in  the  wits,  an'  I  don't  mind  tellin'  ye ; 
it's  all  charity,  Miss  Amy.  Him  livin'  by  his  lone  an' 
gettin'  boardin'-house  truck.  If  he  says  to  me,  says  he, 
'  Shall  I  fetch  the  furnishin'  o'  the  best  Christmas 
dinner  ever  cooked  an'  you  be  after  preparin'  it,'  says 
he,  '  only  givin'  me  one  plateful  beside  your  nice  kitchen 
fire,'  says  he,  could  I  tell  the  man  no,  and  me  a  good  Chris- 
tian ?  Ye  know  better,  Miss  Amy.  Think  o'  the  master, 
an'  Master  Hal,  to-morrow  comes.  What's  the  good 
o'  John,  then,  but  to  find  food  for  me  folks  ?  Run  along !  " 

Mr.  Kaye  had  already  gone  off  for  one  of  his  long 
tramps,  over  the  fields  and  through  the  woods,  to  which 
he  was  now  much  given.  He  had  taken  such,  at  first, 
to  subdue  the  restlessness  which  followed  upon  his 
wife's  death,  and  as  some  sort  of  break  in  his  unuttera- 
ble loneliness.  But  nature  had  helped  him  more  than 
he  had  dreamed ;  and  to  the  pure  air,  the  physical  fa- 
tigue, and  consequent  sound  sleep  was  due  much  of  the 
cure  of  his  mental  illness  that  all  who  knew  him  now 
noticed. 

So  there  was  nobody  who  needed  Amy  just  then,  and 
she  set  off  from  "Charity  House"  at  a  brisk  pace, 
resolved,  as  Cleena  had  advised,  to  forget  all  worry  and 
labor,  and  "just  have  one  good,  jolly  time." 

She  took  the  road  upward  toward  the  woods  behind 
Fairacres,  meaning  to  gather  a  bunch  of  late  ferns  for 
the  decoration  of  the  morrow's  dinner  table,  since  Cleena 
promised  it  should  be  a  feast  day,  after  all. 


IN  THE   OLD   HOME.  255 

Before  she  quite  realized  it  even,  she  had  deflected 
from  her  course,  remembering  just  then  a  certain  glen 
in  the  grounds  of  her  old  home  where  rare  ferns  grew 
to  prodigious  size,  and  where  no  cold  of  winter  seemed 
to  harm  them.  Then  once  upon  the  familiar  path  every 
step  was  suggestive  of  some  bygone  outing,  and  led  her 
to  explore  farther  and  still  farther. 

"  Ah,  the  frost-bleached  maiden-hair.  Nowhere  else 
does  it  last  like  this.  It's  almost  as  white  as  edelweiss, 
and  far  more  graceful.  I  must  put  that  in  my  basket, 
if  nothing  else."  So  she  pulled  it  gently  and  with 
infinite  care,  lest  she  should  break  the  delicate  fronds 
that  had  outlasted  their  season  by  so  long.  Then  there 
were  others,  dainty  green  and  still  fragrant,  which  she 
gathered  eagerly ;  with  here  and  there  a  bit  of  crimson- 
berried  vine,  or  a  patch  of  velvet  moss. 

Always  she  kept  to  the  depth  of  the  little  ravine, 
through  which  ran  a  tiny,  babbling  brook.  This  had 
long  ago  been  named  "  Merry  water,"  nor  had  it  ever 
seemed  gayer  and  more  winsome  than  then.  It  was 
like  reunion  with  some  old  beloved  playmate,  and  Amy 
forgot  everything  but  the  present  enjoyment  as  she 
stooped  and  dabbled  in  the  water  here  and  there. 
Sometimes  she  came  to  the  fantastic  little  bridges  which 
Hallam  had  used  to  lie  upon  the  bank  and  construct  out 
of  the  roots  and  pebbles  she  brought  him.  Where  these 
had  fallen  into  decay  she  repaired  them;  and  at  one 
time  was  busily  endeavoring  to  force  a  grapevine  into 


256  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

place  when  she  heard  a  sound  that  made  her  pause  in 
her  task  and  spring  to  her  feet. 

"  Ah-umph  !     A-h-u-m-ph  !     A-H-U-M-P-H  !  !  !  " 

"  Pepita  !  No  —  Balaam  !  Balaam,  Balaam  —  Ba- 
laam !  " 

She  was  off  up  the  bank  in  another  instant.  The 
sound  was  from  the  old  stable,  so  dear,  so  familiar  to 
her.  As  she  ran  she  caught  up  here  and  there  great 
tufts  of  sweet  grass,  such  as  had  been  neglected  by  the 
mowers,  but  were  dear  to  donkey  appetites. 

"  Oh,  the  precious  !  The  blessed  little  beast !  Won't 
Hallam  be  glad  !  Won't  this  be  a  Christmas  gift  indeed, 
to  bring  him  back  his  own  pet !  How  glad  I  am  I  took 
this  way  to  walk,  and  how  queer  it  is  that  he  should  be 
back  in  his  very  own  old  home.  Is  it  so  queer,  though  ? 
Wouldn't  I  come,  too,  if  I  were  just  a  burro  and  were 
set  free  to  follow  my  own  will  ?  I  can  hardly  wait  to 
reach  him." 

In  a  moment  she  had  done  so,  and  had  filled  the 
manger  with  the  still  luscious  grass,  while  climbing 
upon  its  front  she  had  thrown  her  arms  about  the  ani- 
mal's neck  and  was  assuring  him,  as  she  might  a  human 
being,  that  he  had  been  sadly  missed  and  would  be  most 
welcome  home. 

On  his  part  the  burro  was  fortunately  silent,  though 
his  great,  dark  eyes  looked  volumes  of  affection,  and  he 
laid  his  big  ears  gently  back  to  be  out  of  Amy's  way, 
while  she  caressed  him.  She  smoothed  his  forelock, 


IN   THE   OLD   HOME.  257 

ran  her  fingers  through  his  mane,  patted  his  shaggy 
head,  and  told  him  that  his  "  big  velvet  lips  were  the 
softest  things  on  earth." 

"  Ahem ! " 

This  remark,  if  such  it  could  be  called,  fell  upon 
Amy's  ears  so  suddenly  that  she  half  tumbled  back- 
ward from  her  perch  upon  the  manger,  and  just  saved 
herself  by  springing  lightly  down,  or  she  thought  it  was 
lightly,  until  she  wheeled  and  faced  the  intruder. 

None  other  than  Archibald  Wingate,  making  a  horri- 
ble grimace,  and  holding  up  one  of  his  pudgy  feet  as  if 
he  were  in  great  pain. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon  !  I  didn't  know  it  was  your 
foot,  or  you  were  you  —  I  thought  it  was  only  the  hay 
on  the  floor." 

"  Ugh  !  Great  goodness  !  Umm.  If  you  ever  have 
the  gout,  young  woman,  you  will  understand  how  it  feels 
to  have  anybody  jump  down  full  force  upon  your  toes. 
Ouch  !  O  dear  !  O  dear !  " 

Amy  had  never  been  accustomed  to  seeing  people 
make  ado  over  physical  suffering.  She  did  not  under- 
stand this  man  before  her,  and  a  thrill  of  distress  ran 
through  her  own  frame,  like  the  touch  of  an  electric 
battery. 

"Oh,  I  am  so  sorry!  I  wouldn't  have  done  it  for 
anything  if  I  had  known.  Can't  I  do  something  now 
to  help  you  ?  Let  me  rub  it  or  —  or  —  lead  you.  You 
look  — "  In  spite  of  her  good  intentions,  the  horrible 


258  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

contortions  by  which  Mr.  Wingate's  countenance  ex- 
pressed his  feelings  affected  her  sense  of  the  ridiculous, 
and  she  smiled.  As  instantly  ashamed  of  the  smile, 
she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  waited  what 
would  come  next. 

"  Huh !  Yes,  you  look  sorry,  of  course  you  do, 
laughing  at  an  old  man  after  you've  nearly  broken 
his  foot  in  two.  Hmm.  You're  a  sorry  lot,  the  whole 
of  you ;  yes,  you  are !  O-oh ! "  Yet  he,  too,  and  in 
spite  of  himself,  laughed ;  but  it  was  at  his  own  pitiful 
joke  about  his  kinsmen  being  a  "  sorry  lot." 

Fortunately,  Amy  did  not  understand  a  jest  of  this 
nature,  but  she  was  swift  to  see  the  brightening  of  his 
face.  She  put  her  hand  on  his  arm,  and  tried  to  draw 
his  hand  within  her  own. 

"  Maybe  it  won't  be  so  bad.  Lean  on  me,  and  I'll 
help  you  to  a  seat  or  to  the  house.  And  thank  you, 
thank  you  so  much  for  putting  Balaam  in  the  stable, 
and  taking  such  good  care  of  him.  If  Hal  had  known, 
he  wouldn't  have  worried  so  about  the  little  beast. 
He's  been  so  tenderly  cared  for,  we  couldn't  bear  to 
think  of  him  as  off  in  the  open  fields  with  nobody  but 
Fayette." 

Mr.  Wingate  said  not  a  word.  He  simply  ceased 
groaning  and  grimacing,  and  he  slipped  his  arm 
through  Amy's,  while  a  curious  expression  settled  on 
his  face.  He  did  not  lean  at  all  heavily  upon  her, 
however,  and  he  merely  glanced  toward  the  burro  as 


IN    THE    OLD    HOME.  259 

the  pair  walked  to  the  stable  door.  Then  the  animal 
thought  it  time  to  protest.  Amy  had  brought  him 
fresh  grass,  but  she  had  dropped  it  all  outside  his 
manger,  where  he  could  not  reach  it.  This  was  aggra- 
vation in  the  extreme.  More  than  that,  whenever,  in 
the  old  days,  she  had  been  afflicted  with  one  of  these 
outbursts  of  affection,  there  had  generally  been  a  lump 
of  sugar  connected  with  it.  To  lose  affection,  hay,  and 
sugar,  all  in  one  unhappy  moment,  was  too  much  even 
for  donkey  patience. 

"  AH-UMPH  !     H-umph  !     A-h-u-m-p-h  !  " 

"Whew!  he's  split  my  ears  open.  Plague  take 
the  beast ! "  cried  Mr.  Wingate,  hurrying  forward, 
and  now  stepping  with  suspicious  freedom  from  lame- 
ness. 

Amy  hurried,  too,  wondering  at  his  sudden  recovery. 
"Oh,  do  you  dislike  his  talk?  I  love  it.  I  always 
laugh  when  I  hear  it,  it  is  so  absurd,  and  Pepita's  was 
even  funnier,  She  had  a  feminine  note,  so  to  speak, 
and  she  whined  like  a  spoiled  baby." 

"  What  do  you  know  about  spoiled  babies  ? " 

"Why  —  nothing  — only  William  Gladstone,  he's  a 
trifle  self-Willed,  I  think." 

"William  Gladstone!  What  do  you  mean?  Who 
are  you  talking  about  ?  Are  you  all  crazy  together  ? " 

"  Not  the  English  statesman,  certainly.  Just  Mrs. 
Jones's  youngest  son.  And  I  don't  think  we're  crazy." 

"I   think  you   are,  the  whole   lot.     Well,  will  you 


26O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

come  into  the  house  with  me  ?  How  did  you  know  the 
donkey  was  here  ?  Who  told  you  ?  " 

"He  told  me,"  laughed  Amy.  "Yes,  I'll  go  in  if 
you  wish,  if  I  can  help  you." 

"  How  did  he  tell  you  ?  " 

"  I  was  gathering  these  ferns  in  the  glen,  and  I  heard 
him  bray.  See,  aren't  they  beautiful  ?  They're  for  the 
table  to-morrow.  The  prettiest  ferns  in  all  Fairacres 
grow  along  the  banks  of  '  Merry  water.'  " 

"  Yes,  I  know.  I  used  to  gather  them  when  I  was  a 
child.  My  grandmother  liked  them,  though  she  called 
them  plain  'brakes.'  So  you're  not  afraid  to  trespass, 
then  ?  And  you're  able  to  have  a  dinner-party  even  so 
soon  after  —  and  with  all  the  pretended  devotion.  But 
Cuthbert  — " 

Amy's  hand  went  up  to  her  kinsman's  lips.  It  was  a 
habit  of  hers,  sometimes  playfully  sometimes  earnestly 
used,  to  ward  off  anything  she  did  not  wish  another  to 
say  to  her,  and  she  had  done  it  before  she  thought ; 
but  having  so  done  she  would  not  withdraw  her  silent 
protest.  This  man  should  never  say,  nor  would  she 
ever  hear,  a  word  against  her  father.  Of  that  she  was 
determined,  even  though  she  must  be  rude  to  prevent. 

For  a  moment  Archibald  Wingate  resented  the  girl's 
correction.  Then,  as  her  hand  dropped  to  her  side  and 
her  gaze  to  the  ground,  he  spoke :  — 

"  You  are  right.  I  had  no  business  to  so  speak.  I 
honor  you  for  your  filial  loyalty  and  —  Come  into  the 


IN   THE   OLD   HOME.  26l 

house.  I  have  something  I  wish  to  discuss  with  you. 
So  you  want  to  thank  me  for  taking  care  of  Balaam,  do 
you?  You  may  feel  differently  after  you  have  heard 
what  I  have  to  say.  Oh,  you  did  give  me  a  twinge,  I 
tell  you !  " 

"  Would  it  relieve  the  pain  if  I  bathed  the  foot  for 
you  ?  Or  is  there  anybody  else  to  do  it  ? " 

"  Would  you  do  that  for  me  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  Ring  that  bell." 

Amy  obeyed.  It  was  the  familiar  one  which  sum- 
moned, or  had  summoned,  Cleena  from  her  kitchen. 

A  man  answered  the  call. 

"  Marshall,  have  a  foot-bath  brought  in  here.  This 
young  lady  is  going  to  dress  my  foot  for  me.  For 
once  there'll  be  no  blundering  heavy-handed  servant  to 
hurt  me." 

Over  and  over  and  over  Amy  washed  and  soothed 
the  red,  misshapen  foot.  The  repugnance  she  had  felt 
to  touching  it  had  all  vanished  when  she  saw  how  acute 
must  have  been  the  old  man's  suffering  and  his  now 
evident  relief. 

"  I  thought  you  made  a  big  fuss.  Now  I  don't  see 
how  you  walk  about  at  all." 

"  I  walk  on  my  will,"  answered  he,  grimly.  "You're 
a  good  girl ;  yes,  you  are.  You're  a  real  Kaye.  Our 
women  were  all  good  nurses  and  tender-handed.  It's 
a  pity  —  such  a  pity  !  " 


262  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

Amy  thought  the  prodigious  sigh  that  moved  his 
mighty  breast  was  for  his  own  distress,  and  echoed  his 
regret  sincerely.  "  Yes ;  it  is  a  pity.  It  seems  to  me  it 
should  be  cured.  I  wish  it  could." 

"  So  do  I.  Say,  little  woman,  suppose  you  and  I  try 
to  cure  it. " 

Amy  looked  up.  She  had  been  speaking  simply  of 
his  disease.  She  now  saw  that  he  had  not  been  think- 
ing of  that  at  all.  For  the  moment,  while  she  so  gently 
manipulated  the  swollen  ankle  and  bound  it  with  the 
lotions  Marshall  handed  her,  he  had  been  quite  comfort- 
able, and  the  keen  twinkle  in  his  eye  set  her  thinking. 
Was  it  the  family  feud  he  wished  might  be  healed  ? 
He,  who  was  the  very  foundation  and  cause  of  it  ? 

She  caught  his  hand  in  both  hers,  eagerly. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  we  might  live  at  peace ;  in 
love,  as  kinsfolk  should?  Now  —  this  peace  day  — 
when  the  Christ  child  comes  ?  Is  it  that  ? " 

But  Marshall  made  a  little  motion  which  might  be 
warning  or  contempt.  The  old  man's  face  hardened 
again. 

"  What  are  you  asking  ?  Look,  you've  wet  my 
cuffs!  Your  hands  just  out  of  hot  water  and  all 
liniment !  " 

"  Never  mind  your  cuffs.  Look  out  for  your  heart. 
You're  a  poor,  lonely  old  fellow,  and  I'm  sorry  for 
you." 

Before  he  knew  what   she  was  about,   Amy    had 


JIPULATED  THE  SWOLLEN  ANKLE  AND  BOUND  IT 
WITH  THE  LOTION." 


IN    THE   OLD    HOME.  263 

thrown  her  arms  about  her  cousin's  neck  and  imprinted 
a  kiss  —  somewhere.  It  didn't  much  matter  that  it 
landed  squarely  on  the  tip  of  his  pudgy  nose.  Archi- 
bald Wingate  was  so  little  in  the  habit  of  receiving 
kisses  that  he  might  easily  have  imagined  this  was 
quite  the  customary  place  for  their  bestowal. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

A   PECULIAR    INVITATION. 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  tell  which  was  the  most 
startled.  Amy  stepped  back  from  the  unrespon- 
sive object  of  her  affectionate  impulse  and  blushed 
furiously.  She  feared  that  he  would  think  her  bold 
and  silly,  yet  she  had  only  meant  to  be  kind,  to  com- 
fort him  because  she  pitied  him.  Now,  she  was  pain- 
fully conscious  that  Marshall  was  standing  near,  coolly 
observant,  with  a  cynical  smile  upon  his  thin  lips.  It 
was  a  curious  fact,  which  Amy  instantly  recognized, 
that  this  master  of  whom  so  many  people  stood  in  awe 
should  himself  stand  in  awe  of  his  own  valet. 

"  Ahem  —  shall  I  remove  the  bath,  sir  ?  Has  the 
young  person  finished?" 

Amy  had  not  been  accustomed  to  hearing  herself 
spoken  of  as  a  "person,"  and  the  word  angered  her. 
This  restored  her  self-possession.  She  looked  up, 
laughing. 

"  I  don't  know  how  I  came  to  do  that,  cousin  Archi- 
bald. I  hope  you'll  forgive  me." 

"  Oh,  I'll  forgive  you.  I  don't  know  how  you  did  it, 
either.  Well,  man,  why  are  you  standing  there,  grin- 
264 


A    PECULIAR   INVITATION.  265 

ning  like  a  Cheshire  cat.  I  tell  you  she  has  finished. 
You  can  take  away  the  things." 

"  Very  well ;  it  is  time  for  your  nap,  sir." 

The  worm  turned.  "What  if  I  don't  take  one  to-day? 
What  will  happen  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,  except  that  you  will  probably  be 
ill.  The  doctor's  orders  are,  when  you  have  an 
attack  —  " 

"  Hang  you  and  the  doctor  and  the  attacks,  all  to- 
gether !  You  can  leave  the  room,  can't  you  ?  When  I 
want  you,  I'll  ring." 

Because  he  was  too  astonished  to  do  otherwise,  Mar- 
shall obeyed.  He  was  a  privileged  person.  His  master 
did  not  often  cross  his  will.  There  being  no  other 
apparent  heirs,  Marshall  had,  in  his  own  imagination, 
constituted  himself  Mr.  Wingate's  heir.  Why  not  ?  A 
lifelong  service,  an  untiring  devotion  to  whims  of  all 
sorts,  a  continual  attention  to  the  "creature  comforts" 
which  were  so  greatly  a  part  of  Archibald's  life  —  these 
merited  a  rich  reward.  Marshall  intended  to  receive 
this  reward,  should  he  be  lucky  enough  to  outlive  his 
employer.  He  felt  that  he  would  fill  the  position  of 
owner  of  Fairacres  with  dignity  and  profit.  He  did 
not  like  this  new  interest  Mr.  Wingate  was  taking,  by  fits 
and  starts,  in  the  deposed  family  who  were  his  relatives 
and  —  enemies.  In  Marshall's  opinion  the  breech  be- 
tween these  kinsfolk  ought  not  to  be  healed.  Amy's 
presence  in  the  house  was  a  disastrous  portent.  She 


266  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

must  be  gotten  out  of  it  as  soon  as  possible,  and  in  such 
a  way  that  she  would  not  care  to  come  again.  But  how  ? 

The  servant  revolved  this  question,  as  he  carried 
away  the  bath,  and  so  profoundly  that  he  failed  to 
notice  where  he  was  going  and  stepped  down  a  forgot- 
ten stair  so  unexpectedly  that  he  fell  and  drenched  him- 
self with  the  water  from  the  tub. 

"  Plague  on  her !  Now,  I'm  in  for  it !  "  Which 
meant  that  before  he  could  remove  the  damage  to  his 
attire  Amy  would  probably  have  gained  whatever  she 
came  to  seek.  He  did  not  believe  that  anybody  would 
visit  his  master  without  having  "  an  axe  to  grind,"  for 
he  judged  all  men  by  himself. 

However,  having  tasted  the  sweets  of  rebellion 
against  this  iron  rule  of  Marshall,  Mr.  Wingate  deter- 
mined to  enjoy  it  further. 

"  He's  a  meddling  old  fool.  He's  a  good  servant, 
too.  There  isn't  another  man  in  the  world  would  put 
up  with  my  tempers  as  he  does.  Never  a  word  in 
return,  and  as  smooth  as  silk." 

Amy  laughed.  "  He  looks  to  me  as  if  he  had  had  his 
hair  licked  by  kittens.  It's  so  slick  and  flat  Do  you 
have  to  mind  him  always  ?  " 

"  Mind  him  ?     /  —  mind  my  servant,  eh  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon.     Of  course  —  " 

Mr.  Wingate's  face  was  scarlet.  The  weakness 
which  he  had  hardly  acknowledged  to  himself  had  been 
instantly  discovered  by  this  bright-eyed  girl.  It  wasn't 


A   PECULIAR   INVITATION.  267 

a  pleasant  thing  to  have  so  observant  a  person  about. 
He  had  something  to  say  to  her,  however,  and  he  would 
do  it  at  once  and  get  rid  of  her.  All  his  newly  aroused 
affection  died  in  his  resentment  against  her  judgment. 

"  I  want  to  go  to  the  studio.  There  is  something 
there  I  don't  mean  to  keep,  and  don't  wish  to  destroy, 
without  consulting  some  of  you." 

Amy  followed  him  quietly  out  of  the  house  toward 
the  building  where  her  father  had  spent  so  many  hours, 
and  which  she  held  in  strictest  veneration.  Did  it 
not  still  enclose  the  "  great  picture  "  which  even  she  had 
never  seen,  and  which  had  been  kept  screened  from  the 
sight  of  all  ? 

So  she  still  expected  to  find  the  white  curtain  undis- 
turbed; and  as  she  entered  the  studio,  paused  —  amazed. 
The  canvas  covered  the  end  of  the  apartment ;  but 
after  one  hasty  glance  Amy  shielded  her  eyes  in  a  dis- 
tress that  was  almost  terror. 

"  Hmm.  It  is  very  realistic,  isn't  it  ?  The  thing  is 
horrible.  I  don't  wonder  that  Cuthbert's  wits  got  scat- 
tered, working  on  it.  It  would  drive  me  crazy  in  a 
week,  and  I'm  a  hard,  matter-of-fact  man.  I  kept  it, 
because  by  right  I  might  have  kept  everything  that  was 
here.  I  supposed  I  was  getting  something  worth  while. 
But  this  !  I  don't  want  it.  I  couldn't  sell  it.  I  hate  to 
destroy  it.  What's  to  be  done  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  wish  I  hadn't  seen  it !  " 

"  So  do  I.     I  see  it  sometimes  in  the  night  and  then 


268  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

I  can't  sleep.  I  mean  I  imagine  I  see  it,  for  I  never 
come  here  after  dark.  It's  a  wonderful  picture,  sure 
enough.  A  horrible  one." 

The  canvas  fascinated  Amy.  It  depicted  a  great  fire. 
It  was  ugly  in  extreme.  The  big,  bare  building  was  in 
flames,  everywhere.  The  windows  seemed  numberless, 
and  at  almost  every  window  a  face ;  on  these  faces  all 
the  gamut  of  fright,  appeal,  and  unutterable  despair. 
They  were  human  —  living.  The  girl  felt  impelled 
to  run  and  snatch  them  from  their  doom ;  also  the 
impulse  to  hide  her  eyes,  that  she  might  not  see. 

Mr.  Wingate  had  taken  a  chair  before  the  painting, 
and  was  looking  at  it  critically. 

"  I  tell  you  that's  a  marvellous  thing,  and  it's  as 
dreadful  as  masterly.  There's  only  one  way  I  can 
see  by  which  a  man  could  get  any  money  out  of  it: 
that's  by  cutting  out  the  separate  faces  and  selling 
them  singly.  A  body  might  endure  to  see  one  such 
countenance  in  his  collection,  but  not  more  ;  or,  it  might 
be  destroyed  altogether.  It  explains  why  Cuthbert 
never  recovered  from  the  shock  of  the  accident  he  was 
in.  He  never  lost  sight  of  it.  He  must  have  begun 
this  while  it  was  fresh  in  his  brain,  and  he  did  his 
utmost  to  keep  it  fresh.  Poor  Salome,  she  had  a  hard 
life." 

"  She  had  a  happy  life.  She  loved  my  father.  He 
loved  her.  Whatever  he  did  was  right,  just  right  in 
her  eyes.  You  needn't  pity  her.  But,  oh,  if  she  were 


A    PECULIAR    INVITATION.  269 

only  here  to  consult!  Why  did  you  show  it  to  me? 
Why  did  I  have  to  see  it  ?  " 

"Because  it  couldn't  be  helped.  The  thing  is;  it 
exists.  Now  what  is  to  be  done  with  it  ? " 

"  I  — will  ask  my  father." 

"  I  don't  know  that  that  is  wise.  It  might  bring 
about  a  return  of  his  malady,  and  I'm  told  he  is  improv- 
ing in  all  respects." 

"  I  must  do  it ;  it  is  his.     There  is  no  other  way." 

"  What  if  it  makes  him  worse  again  ? " 

Poor  Amy !  All  her  Christmas  cheer  had  died  from 
her  heart.  She  felt  that  it  would  be  almost  wicked  to 
remind  her  father  of  this,  his  "  life  work,"  of  which  she 
had  not  heard  him  speak  since  he  left  Fairacres.  Yet 
it  was  his.  He  had  given  years  to  its  completion,  so 
far  as  it  had  neared  that  point. 

Mr.  Wingate  regarded  her  keenly.  "  Well  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know  what  to  say.  Have  you  nothing 
to  propose  ?" 

"  Only  what  I  did.  To  cut  it  up  and  sell  the  faces 
as  so  many  small  canvases.  That  would  partially 
repay  me  for  the  things  he  still  owes  for  —  the  paints 
and  so  on.  But  I  detest  the  thing  so  I  hate  to  spread 
the  misery  of  it." 

"  Repay  you  ?  Do  you  mean  that  you  believe  you 
have  a  right  —  you  own  that  picture  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 


2/0  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"Why,  it  is  the  labor  of  —  it  means  many  years  out 
of  my  poor  father's  life.  Can  such  a  thing  be  '  owned  ' 
by  anybody  except  him  ? " 

"Yes,  of  course.  Hark  you.  You  go  home  and 
tell  him  what  I  offer.  I  will  take  the  picture  off  his 
hands  and  allow  him  —  hmm  —  maybe  two  hundred 
dollars;  or,  he  can  take  it  and  owe  me  that  much 
more.  In  any  case  I  want  to  get  rid  of  it.  I  won't 
have  it  left  here  much  longer.  I  shall  have  other  uses 
for  this  room,  maybe.  Anyway,  I  mean  to  get  that  off 
the  place." 

Amy  moved  slowly  toward  the  door.  She  did  not 
know  how  to  reply,  and  she  felt  her  cousin  was  a  very 
hard,  unjust  man.  Yet  she  agreed  with  him  that  the 
picture  was  enough  to  make  a  person  wish  it  out  of 
sight,  even  out  of  existence. 

At  the  doorway  he  arrested  her  steps,  by  laying  his 
hand  upon  her  shoulder. 

"Help  me  down;  I'm  afraid  of  stairs.  And  there's 
another  thing  —  that  donkey." 

"  Oh,  yes ;  I  had  forgotten  Balaam.  May  I  ride 
him  home  ?  Will  you  have  him  brought  around  for  me  ? " 

"  Eh  ?  What  ?  Not  so  fast  —  not  quite  so  fast !  No, 
I  don't  mean  the  stairs.  I  can  manage  this  pace  for 
them.  I  mean  the  donkey.  It  came  here  of  its  own 
accord.  It  gave  me  an  idea.  If  your  brother  wants  to 
sell  him —  By  the  way,  how  do  you  expect  to  pay  the 
rent  ? " 


A   PECULIAR    INVITATION.  2^1 

Amy  stopped  short,  halfway  down  the  stairs,  and  so 
suddenly  that  Mr.  Wingate  remonstrated. 

"If  you'd  give  warning  of  these  spasmodic  actions 
of  yours,  it  would  be  more  comfortable  for  those  depend- 
ing on  you.  There,  please  move  along.' 

"  The  rent  ?  I  had  not  thought.  Didn't  my  mother 
attend  to  that  ?  " 

"  For  the  first  quarter  year,  she  did.  To  whom  must 
I  look  now  ?  " 

Unmindful,  since  this  new  distressing  question  had 
been  raised,  how  much  she  inconvenienced  him,  Amy  sat 
plump  down  and  leaned  her  head  against  the  hand-rail. 

It  always  appeared  to  aid  her  reflective  powers  if  she 
could  rest  her  troubled  head  against  something  material. 

"  I'll  try  to  think.  I  earn  two  dollars  and  a  half  a 
week." 

"  Oh,  my  foot  hurts  again.  Let's  get  into  a  decent 
room  and  talk  it  over  there.  I  hate  draughty  halls  and 
unwarmed  rooms.  There's  a  fire  in  the  little  side 
parlor  off  the  dining  room.  That's  my  own  private 
den.  I  want  to  get  there  and  lie  down.  That  rabbit 
pie  I  had  for  lunch  doesn't  agree  with  me,  I'm  afraid. 
Do  you  like  rabbit  pie  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed  ;  I  wouldn't  eat  one  for  anything." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  I  should  fancy  the  pretty  creatures  looking  at  me 
with  their  soft  eyes.  They're  the  gentlest  animals  in 
the  world." 


2^2  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"The  most  destructive,  you  mean." 

She  did  not  contest.  Besides,  she  was  now  in  great 
haste  to  leave  Fairacres  and  regain  the  shelter  of  her 
own  home.  Strange,  she  reflected,  how  quickly  she 
had  ceased  to  think  of  this  house,  her  birthplace,  as 
a  home ;  since  all  that  went  to  make  it  such  had  gone 
elsewhere. 

"  About  that  rent  money.  If  Hallam  is  able  to  keep 
at  work  we  may  together  earn  five  dollars  a  week. 
That  would  be  twenty  dollars  a  month.  The  rent  is 
ten.  We  will  be  able  to  pay  it,  I  think." 

"Do  you  imagine  you  will  be  able  to  live  upon  the 
remainder  ?  Upon  two  and  a  half  dollars  a  week, 
four  grown  persons  ?  " 

"  If  we  have  no  more,  we  shall  have  to  do  so,  shan't 
we  ? " 

"  Excuse  me ;  but  what  would  you  eat  ?  I  saw  no 
sign  of  scrimping  and  pinching  that  day  I  first  came 
here  —  to  stay." 

"  Oh,  then  Cleena  was  determined  you  should  say 
no  blame  of  her  housekeeping.  She  gave  you  all  in 
one  meal.  We've  often  laughed  over  it  since." 

"  Humph !  But  this  two  and  a  half  per  week, 
what  would  it  buy  ?  " 

"  Meal  and  milk.  Sometimes  oat  meal,  sometimes 
corn.  Once  and  again  an  egg  or  something  for  father. 
Oh,  we'd  manage." 

"Hmm,  hmm;   you'd  rather  live  on  that  than  run 


A    PECULIAR    INVITATION  273 

in  debt  ?  You  younger  Kayes,  who  are  all  I  seem  to 
take  account  of  now  —  Salome  is  gone." 

"  We  will  run  in  no  debt  we  cannot  pay,  unless  we 
are  ill  and  it  is  impossible  to  help.  Hal  and  I  settled 
that  long  ago.  So  far  we  have  managed,  and  now  he 
is  working  too,  I  feel  as  rich  as  —  rich." 

"  Exactly.  Amy,  if  this  old  house  were  yours,  what 
would  you  do  with  it  ?  " 

The  answer  was  prompt  and  decided. 

"  Make  it  into  a  Home  for  Mill  Girls." 

"Whew!  What  in  the  world!  Fairacres?  The 
proudest  old  mansion  in  the  country,  or  in  this  part  of 
it !  Are  you  beside  yourself  ? " 

"  I  should  be  with  delight,  if  I  could  make  that 
dream  a  reality." 

"I  gave  you  credit  for  more  sense.  But,  business — 
that  donkey.  How  much  did  Mr.  Metcalf  intend  to 
pay  for  it  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  the  same  as  he  did  for  Pepita.  Seventy- 
five  dollars  —  burro,  harness,  and  all." 

"  At  ten  dollars  a  month,  that  would  take  you  along 
well  into  next  summer.  Tell  Hallam  that  I  will  keep 
the  animal  and  allow  him  eight  months'  rent  for 
it.  That's  giving  you  a  half  month,  you  see.  Will 
you  ? " 

"Yes,  I'll  tell  him,"  answered  she,  with  a  catch  in 
her  voice.  "  Only  I  had  hoped  to  take  him  home  with 
me.  It  would  have  made  such  a  delightful  Christmas 


2^4  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

for  us  all.  You  don't  know  how  much  we  love  those 
pretty  creatures." 

"  Pretty  !     Opinions  differ." 

"And  would  it  be  quite  right  to  make  any  such 
arrangements,  after  having  asked  the  superintendent 
to  buy  it,  and  he  agreeing  ?  Wouldn't  he  be  the  one 
to  say  something  about  it  ?  " 

"Amy,  you're  incorrigible.  You're  a  radical.  A 
thing  is  either  absolutely  right  or  it  is  absolutely  wrong 
—  according  to  your  standard.  You'll  be  in  trouble 
as  long  as  you  live,  for  you'll  find  nobody  else  with  such 
antiquated  notions  as  yours.  There  are  a  great  many 
things  that  are  expedient." 

"  I  hate  expedient  things.  I  like  just  the  easy,  simple 
'  no '  and  '  yes '  that  was  my  darling  mother's  rule. 
I'm  glad  I'm  at  least  a  birthright  Friend." 

Mr.  Wingate  was  silent.  He  seemed  to  drop  into 
a  profound  reverie,  and  the  girl  hesitated  to  disturb 
him,  eager  as  she  now  was  to  be  away.  Finally,  as 
she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  speak,  he  did  so  himself. 

"  Amy,  do  you  ever  use  the  plain  speech  now  ? " 

"  Sometimes  —  between  ourselves.  For  mother's 
sake  we  can  never  let  it  die." 

"  Will  thee  use  it  to  me  now  and  then  ?  It  was  the 
habit  of  my  boyhood.  Salome  was  my  oldest  friend. 
We've  played  together  in  this  very  room,  again  and 
again.  She  was  my  good  angel.  Until  —  No  matter. 
You  are  her  child.  Not  like  her  at  all  in  face  or 


A    PECULIAR    INVITATION.  275 

manner.  She  was  always  gentle,  and  shrank  from 
giving  pain.  Truthful  and  puritanical  as  she  was  in 
her  ideas,  she  had  the  tact,  the  knowledge  to  say  things 
without  hurting  those  whom  she  corrected.  She  cor- 
rected me  often  and  often,  when  we  were  young,  but 
she  hurt  me  —  never.  Now,  you  —  heigho !  " 

"Now,  I  hurt  —  thee.  Of  course.  I  speak  first  and 
think  afterward.  But  does  thee  know,  cousin  Archi- 
bald, thee  is  the  very  queerest  man  I  ever  met  ?  " 

"  Have  you  —  has  thee  —  known  many  ? " 

"  Very  few.  Thee  is  so  good  on  one  side  and  so  — 
so  —  not  nice  on  the  other.  Like  a  half-ripened  pear. 
But  I  am  sorry  for.  thee.  I  wish  I  could  do  thee  good. 
Do  I  speak  it  as  thee  wishes  ? " 

"  Indeed,  yes.  It  is  music,  even  though  the  words 
are  unflattering  enough.  Well,  I'll  not  keep  thee  longer. 
And  I  don't  ask  you  to  call  attention  to  this  whim  of 
mine  by  saying  'thee'  in  public,"  he  remarked,  himself 
falling  back  into  the  habit  of  their  intercourse. 

"No;  if  I  say  'thee,'  it  is  to  be  always,  whenever 
I  remember  —  like  a  bond  to  remind  me  I  must  be 
kind  to  thee  for  my  mother's  sake.  If  she  did  thee 
good,  I  must  try  to  do  thee  good  too." 

"  In  what  way  ?  " 

Amy  reflected.  The  first,  most  obvious  way,  would 
be  by  cheering  his  solitude.  Yet  she  hesitated.  The 
thing  which  had  come  into  her  mind  involved  the 
desires  of  others  also.  She  had  no  right,  until  she 


276  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

consulted  them,  to  commit  herself.  Yet  she  disliked  to 
leave  this  lonely  old  fellow,  without  trying  to  make  him 
glad. 

She  sat  down  again  in  the  chair  from  which  she  had 
risen  and  regarded  him  critically. 

"  Oh,  cousin  Archibald,  if  thee  were  only  a  little  bit 
different!" 

"  Thee,  too  !  "  he  laughed  —  actually  laughed  ;  and  the 
action  seemed  to  clear  his  features  like  a  sunburst. 

"  Oh,  of  course.  Well,  it's  this  way.  To-morrow's 
Christmas,  isn't  it? " 

"  So  I've  heard." 

"  And  somebody  —  Teamster  John  —  has  sent  Cleena 
'  the  furnishing  of  a  good  dinner,'  she  told  me.  I 
don't  know  when  we  may  have  another  such  a  meal, 
one  that  thee  would  think  fit  to  eat.  I'd  like  to  ask 
thee  to  come  and  share  it  with  us,  instead  of  staying 
here  alone,  all  grumpy  with  the  gout.  But  it  isn't  my 
dinner,  thee  sees,  and  I'm  going  home  to  tell  my  people 
everything.  About  the  picture  and  the  donkey  and 
all.  If,  after  that,  they  agree  with  me  that  it  would  be 
nice  to  ask  thee  to  spend  the  holiday  with  us,  I'll  bring 
thee  word.  If  I  do,  will  thee  come  ?  " 

Mr.  Wingate  leaned  back  in  his  easy-chair  and 
hugged  his  gouty  foot  for  so  long  and  so  silently  that 
Amy  grew  impatient  and  rose. 

"  Anyway,  I  must  go  home.  I've  been  here  ever  so 
much  later  than  I  meant  to  stay.  Good-by." 


A    PECULIAR    INVITATION.  2/7 

"Wait!  How  impetuous  you  —  thee  is.  Well,  I've 
received  a  great  many  invitations  to  dine,  from  the 
banquets  of  bank  presidents  down  to  the  boiled  dinners 
of  my  own  workmen,  but  I  doubt  if  I  ever  received 
one  so  honest  and  so  honestly  expressed." 

"  Will  thee  come,  if  thee  is  asked  ? " 

"  Yes ;  I'll  come  —  if  I'm  asked.  Don't  thee  bother 
to  walk  all  the  way  back  again,  though.  If  by  nine 
o'clock  to-night  I  have  heard  nothing  to  the  contrary, 
I  shall  understand  that  I  am  expected  to  dine  with  my 
tenants  at  '  Spite  House.'  At  what  hour,  please  ? " 

"  On  Christmas,  dinner  is  usually  at  three  o'clock. 
And,  if  thee  pleases,  it  is  no  longer  'Spite'  but  'Charity 
House.'  My  mother  changed  all  that.  Thee  must  not 
dishonor  her  wishes  if  thee  loves  her." 

A  wonderful,  an  almost  beautiful  change  passed  over 
the  old  man's  face. 

"  Amy,  thee  speaks  as  if  she  were  here  still." 

"  She  is  to  me.     She  always  will  be.     Good-by." 

She  was  gone,  and  the  house  seemed  bigger  and 
emptier  after  she  had  left  it.  But  Archibald  Wingate 
would  not  have  had  anybody  know  with  what  almost 
childish  anxiety  he  waited  the  striking  of  the  clock,  as 
the  hour  of  nine  drew  near.  He  had  been  judged  a 
hard  and  bitter  man.  He  was  very  human,  after  all. 
The  small  brown  hand  of  his  young  cousin  was  point- 
ing a  new,  strange  way,  wherein  he  might  happily 
walk,  and  in  secret  he  blessed  her  for  it.  But  he  was 


2/8  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

a  man  who  liked  his  own  will  and  to  follow  his  own 
road  still ;  though  he  might  do  his  utmost  to  bend  that 
road  in  the  direction  she  had  elected.  Meanwhile,  he 
would  have  his  supper  sent  in  and  sitting  at  ease  before 
his  own  hearth-blaze  review  many  plans. 

So  he  did,  and  after  the  supper  a  comfortable  nap, 
from  which  he  roused  with  a  start,  fancying  the  old 
clock  in  the  hall  was  striking  the  hour. 

"  Eh  ?  What  ?  Is  it  nine  already  ?  That  timepiece 
must  be  fast." 

"  It's  only  me,  sir,  Marshall,  with  a  bucket  of  coals. 
And,  if  you  please,  there's  a  young  person  outside 
insists  upon  seeing  you,  sir.  Am  I  to  bid  him  go  away 
until  morning  ?  " 

In  his  disappointment  the  master's  face  really  paled. 
Marshall  noticed  it  and  wondered,  but  he  knew  enough, 
sometimes,  to  hold  his  tongue.  This  seemed  to  him  to 
be  one  of  the  times,  and  he  therefore  made  no  comment, 
nor  even  inquired  for  the  master's  health. 

"  No,  don't  send  anybody  away.  I  fancy  that  was 
never  the  custom  at  Fairacres,  on  Christmas  Eve,  be 
the  visitor  who  he  might.  We'll  not  disturb  the  old 
ways,  more  than  we  can  help.  After  all  —  Bid  the  mes- 
senger come  in." 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

TWO    WANDERERS    RETURN. 

THE  "young  person"  to  whom  Marshall  referred 
in  such  contemptuous  terms  was  Lionel  Percival 
Jones.  He  so  announced  himself,  as  he  was  ushered 
into  the  presence  of  the  great  man. 

"  I've  come  to  bring  a  letter  from  Amy  Kaye." 

"  Indeed ;  would  it  not  sound  better  if  you  said 
'  Miss  Kaye,'  or  '  Miss  Amy  '  ?  She  is  a  kinswoman  of 
mine." 

Lionel  Percival  was  astonished.  He  had  prepared 
himself  for  this  visit  with  the  utmost  care.  He  had 
oiled  his  curly  auburn  locks  with  a  scented  pomatum, 
and  parted  them  rakishly  in  the  middle.  He  wore  his 
most  aggressive  necktie  and  his  yellowest  shoes,  also 
his  Sunday  suit  of  clothes.  With  the  exception  of  the 
necktie  and  the  pomatum,  he  would  not  have  attracted 
attention  to  himself  anywhere,  and  so  would  have  been 
well  dressed.  With  these,  he  seemed  to  be  all-pervad- 
ing. He  had  instantly,  by  means  of  them,  offended 
Mr.  Wingate's  taste,  and  put  himself  at  disadvantage. 

"Why,  I'd  just  as  lief  say  '  Miss,'  but  she's  a  mill  girl, 
same  as  my  own  sister.  I  didn't  go  to  mean  no  harm." 
279 


28O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

The  mill  owner  winced.     Then  inquired  :  — 

"Is  there  an  answer  expected?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Very  well.     Wait  here." 

The  master  of  Fairacres  limped  into  the  adjoining 
room  and  turned  his  back  toward  the  .door  between, 
hiding  his  face  from  the  lad's  observation  as  he  read. 

"  Humph  !  She  left  it  open,  which  is  correct  enough 
with  reliable  messengers.  Probably,  though,  he  had 
the  curiosity  to  read  what  she  had  to  say,"  —  in  which 
he  wholly  wronged  the  bearer.  But  Mr.  Wingate  had 
yet  to  learn  that  even  lads  who  attire  themselves  atro- 
ciously may  still  be  true  gentlemen  at  heart,  and  sin  in 
taste  through  ignorance  only. 

This  was  the  note  :  — 

"  DEAR  COUSIN  ARCHIBALD  WINGATE  :  My  father 
and  Hallam  will  be  very  happy  to  have  thee  dine  with 
us  to-morrow,  Christmas  Day.  Cleena  says  that  dinner 
will  be  served  at  three  o'clock.  If  thee  knew  her  as 
well  as  I  do,  thee  would  understand  that  she  means  not 
a  minute  before  nor  one  afterward.  If  thee  pleases,  I 
would  rather  not  have  any  '  business '  talk  of  any  sort 
to-morrow.  I  would  like  it  to  be  a  day  of  peace,  as  my 
mother  always  kept  it  for  us.  Thee  may  meet  some 
other  guests,  but  we  will  try  to  make  thee  happy. 
"Good  night, 

"  AMY." 


TWO    WANDERERS    RETURN.  28 1 

It  was  a  very  cheerful  and  smiling  old  gentleman 
who  returned  to  the  room  where  Lionel  Percival  waited 
for  the  reply,  a  brief  but  stately  acceptance  of  the 
invitation ;  for  since  Amy  had  set  him  the  example,  the 
mill  owner  considered  that  she  regarded  such  formality 
essential. 

Then  he  called  in  Marshall  and  bade  him  see  that  the 
messenger  had  a  bit  of  supper  before  his  return  walk, 
which  proceeding  made  the  valet  stare,  and  the  boy 
feel  exceedingly  proud.  It  would  be  something  of 
which 'to  boast  among  his  comrades  at  the  mill. 

The  morning  proved  a  cloudless  one,  mild  and  mer- 
ciful to  such  as  suffered  from  gout,  and  Mr.  Wingate 
drove  himself  to  "  Charity  House  "  in  his  own  little  phae- 
ton. He  felt  this  was  an  occasion  when  Marshall's  too 
solicitous  attentions  might  be  in  the  way.  He  held 
a  debate  with  himself,  before  setting  off,  whether  he 
should  or  should  not  add  to  the  feast  from  his  own 
larder,  and  he  decided  against  so  doing  by  the  simple 
test  of  "  put  yourself  in  his  place." 

But  there  was  plenty  and  to  spare.  Teamster  John 
did  nothing  by  halves.  Those  who  have  least  of  this 
world's  goods  are  always  the  most  generous.  Cleena 
had  prepared  each  dish  with  her  best  skill  and  waited 
upon  her  guests  with  smiling  satisfaction.  Afterward, 
in  the  kitchen,  she  and  John  discussed  the  strange 
reunion  of  their  "  betters,"  and  Cleena  speculated  upon 
it  in  her  own  fashion  :  — 


282  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Sure,  there's  never  fish,  flesh,  nor  fowl  could  with- 
stand the  loving  ways  of  me  little  colleen.  And  to  hear 
them  talkin'  together,  like  lambs  in  the  field.  Them  — 

"  I  never  heerd  lambs  talkin',"  observed  John,  face- 
tiously. 

"  Then  it's  deaf  ye've  been  belike.  Oh,  me  fathers, 
if  here  doesn't  come  me  own  Gineral  —  Napoleon  — 
Bony  party  !  Where  have  ye  been  avick,  avick  ? "  she 
demanded,  pushing  hastily  back  from  the  board  and 
hurrying  out  of  doors.  "  Well,  it's  proof  o'  yer  sense 
ye  comes  back  in  due  time  for  a  bit  o'  the  nicest  turkey 
ever  was  roast.  But  it's  shamefaced  ye  be,  small  won- 
der o'  that !  Howsomever,  it's  a  day  o'  good  will.  Come 
by.  Wash  up,  eat  yer  meat,  an'  give  thanks.  To-mor- 
row —  /'//  settle  old  scores.  Come  by." 

Yet  when  Fayette  entered  the  kitchen  and  learned 
from  John  who  were  the  guests  in  the  dining  room 
beyond,  he  scowled  and  would  have  gone  away  again. 
However,  he  had  forgotten  Cleena.  That  good  woman, 
having  received  her  prodigal  back,  did  not  intend  to 
relinquish  him.  She  saw  his  frown,  his  hasty  move- 
ment, and  shutting  the  door  put  her  back  against  it. 

"  You  silly  omahaun  !  If  your  betters  forgives  an' 
eats  the  bread  o'  peace,  what's  you  to  be  settin'  such  a 
face  on  the  matter  ?  Come  by.  Be  at  peace.  There's 
the  blessed  little  hunchback  eatin'  cranberry  sauce  cheek 
by  jowl  with  her  '  boss,'  an'  can't  you  remember  the 
Child  was  born  for  such  as  you,  me  poor  silly  lad? 
Come  by." 


TWO   WANDERERS    RETURN.  283 

Fayette  "  came  by  "  at  last,  silently  and  because  he 
was  half  famished,  and  could  not  resist  the  savory  odors 
of  the  tempting  food  Cleena  offered  him.  Yet  in  his 
heart  there  was  still  anger  and  evil  intent ;  and  though 
he  was  amazed  to  find  Mary  Reese  a  guest  at  the 
Kayes'  table,  as  well  as  their  "mortal  enemy,"  Mr. 
Wingate,  he  made  no  further  comment,  and  as  soon  as 
the  meal  was  over  retreated  without  a  word  to  his 
chamber  and  shut  the  door. 

"  It's  like  he  might  ha'  just  stepped  out  yesternight, 
he  drops  into  ways  so  quick,"  said  Cleena. 

"  But  he's  not  the  same  lad.  He'll  give  somebody 
trouble  before  long.  You  do  wrong,  woman,  to  harbor 
him.  He's  vindictive  and  dangerous." 

The  trustful  Cleena  laughed  the  teamster  to  scorn. 

"  Faith,  give  a  dog  a  bad  name  an'  he'll  earn  it.  Let 
the  lad  be.  In  old  Ireland  we  call  such  the  '  touched 
of  God.'  We  judge  not,  an'  that's  the  size  of  a  man  — 
how  he  betreats  the  helpless  ones.  Put  that  in  your 
pipe  an'  smoke  it." 

Surely,  John  thought,  there  was  a  deal  of  good  sense 
and  heart  kindness  in  this  stalwart  daughter  of  Erin. 
He  was  Yankee  himself,  to  the  backbone ;  yet,  as  he 
pushed  back  from  the  table,  satisfied  and  at  ease,  he 
pulled  from  his  pocket  a  small  paper  parcel.  It  was 
his  Christmas  gift  for  his  hostess,  and  intended  to  sug- 
gest many  things.  She  was  bright  enough  to  compre- 
hend his  meaning,  if  she  chose.  Would  she  ?  She 


284  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

gave  no  sign,  if  she  did,  as  she  unrolled  the  package 
and  placed  its  contents  —  a  small  flag  of  Ireland  and  its 
mate,  in  size,  of  the  United  States  —  behind  the  kitchen 
clock,  where  the  blended  colors  made  a  bit  of  gayety 
upon  the  whitewashed  wall. 

"  Long  may  they  wave !  "  cried  the  donor. 

"  Troth,  I'm  not  seein'  no  wavin'.  They're  best  as 
they  be,  with  the  timepiece  betwixt.  Each  in  its  place, 
as  the  Lord  wills,  an'  mine's  here.  So  here  I  bides  till 
I'm  no  longer  wanted." 

"  It's  a  biggish  house,"  quoth  the  undismayed  suitor. 
"  There's  room  in  it  for  me,  too,  I  cal'late." 

But  if  Cleena  heard  this  remark  she  ignored  it,  pass- 
ing swiftly  into  the  dining  room  to  remove  the  dishes  of 
the  first  course,  and  substituting  the  luxury  of  a  basket 
of  fruit  which  she  had  accumulated  somehow,  as  only 
herself  could  have  explained. 

Maybe  there  is  no  trivial  thing  that  so  greatly  helps 
to  bridge  over  a  trying  situation  as  good  breeding.  The 
breeding  which  is  really  good,  out  of  the  inner  life: 
kindness  and  the  reluctance  to  inflict  pain.  It  was  such 
breeding  that  enabled  the  oddly  assorted  company  at 
that  Christmas  dinner  table  to  pass  the  hours  of  their 
intercourse  not  only  in  peace,  but  with  absolute  enjoy- 
ment. 

Finally,  when  the  elders  pushed  back  their  chairs, 
Mr.  Kaye  proposed  that  Amy  should  sing  some  of  the 
old-time  ballads  familiar  to  the  childhood  of  both  him- 


TWO    WANDERERS    RETURN.  285 

self  and  his  kinsman.  So  Hallam  took  out  his  mother's 
guitar  and  tuned  it,  and  his  sister  placed  herself  beside 
him. 

"Ah,  how  well  I  remember  that  little  instrument," 
cried  Mr.  Wingate,  "  and  the  commotion  it  caused 
among  the  Friends.  Music  used  to  be  the  most 
'  worldly '  and  undesirable  thing,  but  they  are  more 
tolerant  now.  Give  us  '  Lang  Syne,'  youngsters.  It's 
the  song  for  the  day  and  —  this  hour." 

It  was.  They  sang  it  lustily,  and  Amy  was  amazed 
to  hear  how  finely  that  deep  voice  of  their  cousin  could 
fill  in  the  pauses  of  her  own  treble,  sweet  but  not 
strong.  Then  there  was  "  Annie  Laurie,"  and  "  Edin- 
boro'  Toon,"  and  "  Buy  my  Caller  Herrin',"  and  others; 
till  Cleena  drew  John  to  the  door  to  listen  and  applaud, 
forgetting  for  once  the  big  pile  of  dishes  standing 
unwashed  upon  her  kitchen  table. 

"  For,  aye,  it's  a  time  o'  peace,  thank  God.  An'  her 
that  has  gone  is  among  us  never  a  doubt  I  doubt. 
What's  a  bit  o'  idlin'  when  a  sight  for  saints  is  afore 
ye  ?  If  Fayetty,  now  — 

But  Fayette  was  not  there.  Neither  was  he  in  his 
own  room  when  Cleena  sought  him  there.  He  had 
left  it  while  she  was  off  guard  and  had  made  his  escape 
unseen.  Forces  of  good  and  evil  were  tormenting  him : 
the  struggle  to  do  right  and  please  these  good  friends, 
and  the  greater  yearning  to  seek  the  wrong  path  to 
revenge. 


286  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Yet,  after  all,  what  was  this  poor  human  waif  to 
these  happier  folk  ?  So  he  asked  himself  as  he  sneaked 
away  in  the  twilight  which  hid  his  departure. 

Had  Amy  heard  the  question,  she  would  have  answered 
it  promptly  :  "  Much,  Fayette.  Everybody  one  knows 
is  something  to  one's  self." 

But  she  did  not  even  hear  of  his  brief  visit,  for, 
having  discovered  his  fresh  defection,  Cleena  decided 
to  keep  the  matter  to  herself. 

It  was  getting  quite  late  when  Archibald  Wingate 
drove  away  from  "  Charity  House "  toward  Fairacres, 
and  as  he  went  he  pondered  of  many  things.  Once  or 
twice  he  fancied  he  saw  a  lurking  shadow  in  the  road, 
that  was  not  due  to  either  bush  or  tree  which  bordered 
it.  But  he  thought  little  of  the  matter,  so  engrossed 
was  he  with  the  recollections  of  the  evening. 

"  Queer,  what  a  pleasant  time  I  had.  Yet  we  are 
all,  practically,  enemies.  Each  side  feels  that  the  other 
side  has  been  at  fault.  Anyway,  I  seem  to  hear  Salome 
saying  :  '  Judge  not  my  children  by  the  mistakes  of 
their  parents.'  Nor  will  I  ;  of  that  I  am  resolved. 
I'll  give  even  that  top-lofty  lad,  Hallam,  a  fair  show, 
by  and  by.  I  must  test  him  a  little  longer  first,  then 
I'll  begin.  That  is,  if  he's" made  of  the  right  stuff.  As 
for  Amy,  she's  a  witch.  She's  wheedled  the  heart  right 
out  of  me  with  her  bright,  unflinching,  honest  eyes. 
Talked  to  me  about  getting  up  a  'club'  for  the  mill 
folks.  '  The  right  sort  of  club,  with  books  and  pictures 


TWO  WANDERERS  RETURN.  287 

and  everything  helpful.'  The  saucebox  !  and  she  earn- 
ing the  mighty  wage  of  two-fifty  per  week.  Well,  all 
in  good  course.  I  haven't  toiled  a  lifetime  to  attain  my 
object,  then  relinquish  it  without  a  little  enjoyment  of 
it ;  though,  after  all,  possession  isn't  everything.  The 
struggle  was  about  as  enjoyable  as  the  result.  But  I 
succeeded !  I  am  master  of  Fairacres,  of  Ardsley 
Mills,  of  half  all  Ardsley  township.  The  old  family 
is  still  on  top.  But,  I'll  buy  Cuthbert's  great  picture 
and  burn  it  up  —  sometime.  Hmm.  Wonder  where 
that  visionary  Frederic  Kaye  is,  of  whose  unpractical 
schemes  I  am  reaping  the  benefit.  Odd  —  buried  him- 
self in  California,  so  to  speak,  and  the  only  visible 
proofs  that  he  had  ever  reached  that  happy  land  are 
a  couple  of  braying  burros.  —  Hello  !  hello,  I  say  ! 
Who's  that?  What's  up?" 

The  shadow  which  had  dogged  the  track  of  the  mill 
owner's  phaeton  had  suddenly  become  a  reality.  His 
horse  was  seized,  forced  backward,  the  horsewhip 
wrenched  from  its  socket,  and  before  he  could  defend 
himself  Mr.  Wingate's  head  and  shoulders  felt  the  cuts 
of  the  whip,  delivered  in  swift  and  furious  intensity. 

"Hold  on!  hold  —  on!  What  —  who  —  stop,  stop, 
s-t-o-p !  You're  killing  me!  What's  wanted?  It's 
murder  —  murder  !  " 

And  again  after  another  visitation  of  stripes,  that 
awful  cry  of  "mur-der!" 

The  word  holds  its  own  horror.     No  one  can   thus 


288  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

hear  it  shouted,  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  unmoved. 
It  affected  even  the  ferocious  assailant  of  the  lonely  old 
man,  and  arrested  his  further  blows. 

"  Murder."  That  meant  death,  prison,  everything 
that  was  hateful.  Even  to  Fayette's  dull  brain  there 
penetrated  some  realization  of  what  his  present  deed 
implied.  For  this  was  he  who  had  waylaid  an 
"  enemy  "  on  the  highroad  and  beaten  him  into  un- 
consciousness. 

Then  he  remembered  his  own  wrongs,  and  his  anger 
flamed  afresh. 

"  Thought  you  could  do  all  the  lickin',  did  ye  ?  How 
many  times  didjw*  have  me  thrashed?  What  did  you 
care  if  the  man  who  thrashed  me  'bout  killed  me  ? 
What  was  I,  only  '  Bony,'  out  o'  the  poor  farm  !  Ugh, 
you  old  rascal !  Take  that,  and  that,  and  that.  Huckle- 
berries !  but  it's  fun  to  settle  such  scores." 

The  old  horse  which  Mr.  Wingate  drove  stood  quiet 
in  the  road,  else  the  matter  might  have  had  a  differ- 
ent ending ;  for  had  she  run  and  dragged  her  now  help- 
less master,  he  would  surely  have  been  killed.  As  it 
was,  she  did  not  move,  so  there  was  nothing 'to  deaden 
the  sound  of  the  sharp  blows  Fayette  administered ; 
and  in  the  silence  of  the  place  and  night  this  sound 
carried  far. 

It  reached  the  ears  of  a  foot  passenger,  toiling  up  the 
mill  road  toward  Fairacres  and  quickened  his  pace. 
So  that  when  the  half-wit  finally  paused  for  breath,  he 


TWO    WANDERERS    RETURN.  289 

felt  himself  caught  by  his  collar  and  heard  a  stern  voice 
demanding  :  — 

"What's  this?  Hold!  Stop!  This  —  here,  in 
Ardsleyf" 

Fayette  looked  up.  The  man  who  had  gripped  him 
was  much  taller  than  he,  and  seemed  in  that  dim  light 
a  giant  for  strength.  The  capture  brought  back  all 
those  visions  of  punishment  and  the  prison.  In  a  twin- 
kling the  agile  lad  had  writhed  himself  free  from  his 
short  coat  and  leaped  away  into  the  darkness. 

The  newcomer  heard  a  sound  of  retreating  footsteps 
and  mocking  laughter,  then  turned  his  attention  to  the 
injured  man  in  the  phaeton. 

"  An  old  fellow,  too,  he  seems.  Hello !  Are  you 
alive  ?  Hey  !  Can't  you  speak  ?  That's  serious." 

The  stranger's  actions  were  alert  and  decided.  He 
gently  raised  the  bent  figure  of  the  unconscious  Mr. 
Wingate  to  as  comfortable  a  position  as  he  could, 
stepped  into  the  vehicle,  and  took  up  the  reins. 

"  If  nothing  is  changed,  the  nearest  house  is  old 
Fairacres.  But  I  didn't  look  for  such  a  home-coming. 
Get  up  there,  nag  !  " 

Not  since  the  days  of  her  youth  had  the  sorrel  mare 
been  forced  into  such  a  pace  as  then.  The  rescuer 
drove  for  life  and  death,  and  as  if  all  turnings  of  the 
old  road  were  familiar  to  him.  Nor  did  he  slacken 
rein  until  he  reached  the  front  door  of  the  mansion, 
and  sung  out  in  a  voice  to  wake  great  echoes:  — 


2QO  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

"  Hello,  there  !     Come  out !     A  man  in  distress !  " 

This  hello  reached  the  stable,  where  Fayette  was 
loosing  Balaam,  and  roused  that  intelligent  beast  to 
speak  his  opinion  concerning  these  disturbances  of  his 
rest. 

Marshall,  hurrying  to  answer  the  imperative  demand 
at  the  front  door,  heard  the  burro's  bray  of  protest, 
though  he  paid  it  small  attention  then,  because  of  the 
nearer  demand.  Holding  his  candle  high  above  his 
head,  he  slid  back  the  bolts  and  peered  out,  but  the 
sight  which  met  his  gaze  set  him  trembling  like  an 
aspen. 

"  Why  —  my  land  !  Master,  what  —  what's  hap- 
pened ?  Have  they  murdered  you  out  of  hand  ?  Ah, 
but  my  mind  misgave  me  how  'twould  be.  To  think 
it  —  to  think  it!" 

"  Hush  !  Put  down  the  candle.  Give  a  lift ;  he's 
powerful  heavy.  Is  this  your  master?" 

The  servant  retreated.  This  might  be  the  very 
person  who  had  done  the  mill  owner  such  terrible 
injury.  He  would  put  his  own  precious  anatomy  out 
of  harm's  reach. 

"  Oh,  you  fool !  Come  back.  You're  safe.  Leave 
that  door  open.  I'll  bring  him  in  myself.  Make  way 
there  —  quick  !  " 

Marshall  tried  to  barricade  the  entrance  to  the 
room  beyond  the  hall  by  means  of  his  own  plump 
body,  and  was  promptly  kicked  aside,  as  the  stranger 


TWO    WANDERERS    RETURN.  2QI 

strode    past    him,  bearing  the  unconscious  man  upon 

his  shoulder,  very  much  as  if  he  had  been  a  bag  of 

meal. 

"Is  this  your  master?" 

"  Y-ye-s.     Who  —  are  you  —  ordering  — 

"  Hot   water  —  lights  —  a   doctor  —  everything  —  at 

once.     I'm  Frederic  Kaye." 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 
FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME. 

THE  excitement  at  Ardsley  was  intense.  Never 
had  its  quiet  precincts  been  disturbed  by  a  crime 
so  unprovoked  and  dastardly. 

"  To  strike  a  man  in  the  dark." 

"  To  waylay  an  old  fellow  like  that.  The  man  is 
a  coward,  whoever  he  be,  that  did  it." 

"  Poor  old  '  boss.'  He  wasn't  to  say  over  lovable, 
in  ordinary,  but  I'd  pity  even  a  scoundrel  got  treated 
that  way." 

"  He  ought  to  be  punished  with  his  own  stripes." 

"Oh,  he'll  get  what  he  deserves.  Never  fear.  If 
old  man  Wingate  had  been  poor  —  well,  you  might 
say.  But  a  rich  man  has  friends." 

Such  talk  all  through  the  mill,  on  that  day  after 
Christmas,  interfered  seriously  with  the  customary 
labor.  But  it  was  small  wonder ;  and  though  he  tried 
to  enforce  discipline  and  keep  things  running  smoothly, 
even  Mr.  Metcalf  himself  was  greatly  disturbed  and 
anxious. 

The  news  of  the  assault  upon  the  mill  owner  had 
292 


FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME.  293 

spread  rapidly.  At  first  the  story  told  by  the  stranger, 
who  had  so  suddenly  and  opportunely  appeared  upon 
the  scene,  was  given  credence.  Then,  when  it  was 
remembered  that  this  stranger,  now  known  to  be 
Frederic  Kaye,  had  been  injured  and  supplanted  by 
Archibald  Wingate,  a  faint  suspicion  began  to  rise  in 
men's  minds. 

Only  those  who  have  suffered  from  it  know  with 
what  terrible  rapidity  an  unjust  rumor  grows  and 
spreads.  Inoculated  by  this  evil  germ,  even  the  fair- 
est judgment  becomes  diseased.  Those  who  had  best 
known  Frederic  Kaye,  the  old  people  who  recalled 
his  frank,  impetuous,  happy-go-lucky  boyhood,  here 
in  the  town  where  he  was  born  and  bred ;  those  who 
had  received  good  from  his  hand,  and  nothing  but 
good;  even  these  joined  with  the  baser  sort  in  con- 
sidering the  night  attack  upon  the  mill  owner  "quite 
natural.  Just  what  might  have  been  expected." 

"  Of  course  no  one  knows  what  sort  of  life  Kaye's 
led  out  there  in  Calif orny.  The  jumping-off  place 
of  creation." 

So,  instead  of  finding  himself  among  friends,  the 
returned  citizen  discovered  that  he  was  among  enemies, 
under  the  basest  of  suspicions.  He  had  remained  all 
night  at  Fairacres,  with  the  doctor  so  hastily  sum- 
moned there.  This  gentleman  was  an  old  acquaintance, 
and  from  him  Mr.  Frederic,  as  he  had  always  been 
called  in  distinction  from  Mr.  Kaye,  the  artist  and  his 


294  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

brother-in-law,  learned  the  history  of  the  past  weeks. 
Yes,  even  of  years. 

"It's  a  pity,  a  great  pity !  When  I  failed  to  pay 
what  I  owed  on  the  property  here,  and  Salome,  my 
sister,  saw  that  I  would  lose  everything  unless  some- 
body came  to  my  aid,  she  did  so.  I  hoped,  I  fully 
expected,  to  be  able  to  return  what  she  advanced.  All 
the  world  knows  now  that  I  was  not." 

"  She  was  not  the  first  person  who  has  been  ruined 
by  injudicious  indorsement." 

The  Californian  winced.  His  home-coming  was  prov- 
ing a  terrible  disappointment  to  him,  and  he  little 
dreamed  how  much  worse  than  disappointment  was  yet 
in  store. 

"Well,  bad  luck  has  pursued  me.  I  have  lost  in 
every  speculation  I  ever  undertook.  The  last  I  tried 
was  the  evaporation  of  fruits.  There's  money  in  it,  if  I 
had  the  capital  —  " 

"  Then  you  did  not  know  how  badly  things  were  going 
with  your  sister  ?  " 

"  I  never  dreamed  it.  You  knew  her  well —  Salome 
was  never  a  whiner.  If  she  had  even  intimated  the 
straits  which  she  was  in,  I  would  have  thrown  up  every 
chance  and  come  back  at  once,  to  put  my  shoulder  to 
the  wheel  in  some  shape.  I  wouldn't  have  permitted 
it." 

"  How  happen  you  here  just  now  ? " 

"  My  niece,  Amy,  wrote  me  of  her  mother's  death.    It 


FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME.  295 

was  a  brief,  heart-broken  little  letter.  I  have  it  here. 
It  brought  me  home,  but  I  still  fancied  that  home  was 
this  house."  The  gentleman  took  from  his  pocket  a 
small  envelope  and  read  its  enclosure  aloud.  It  was,  as 
he  had  stated,  extremely  short  and  gave  only  the  facts. 

"  MY  DEAR  UNCLE  FREDERIC  :  Our  mother  is  dead. 
She  is  buried  at  Quaker  cemetery.  My  father  and 
Hallam  are  well.  So  is  Cleena.  I  don't  know  how  to 
write  to  you  because  you  are  really  a  stranger  to  me. 
The  burros  are  both  well.  Your  loving 

"  AMY  KAYE." 

"There,  that's  all.  It  was  enough  to  bring  me 
clear  across  the  continent,  however.  My  heart  aches ; 
I  should  have  come  sooner.  Oh,  for  one  sight  of 
Salome's  beautiful  face  before  —  "  He  dropped  his 
head  on  his  hand  and  a  sob  shook  the  strong  frame. 

The  doctor  rose  and  busied  himself  about  his  patient. 
He  respected  the  brother's  grief,  and  he  liked  this  man, 
unthrifty  and  neglectful  as  he  might  have  been. 

Then  Marshall  made  a  sign,  and  the  physician  left 
the  room  so  quietly  that  Mr.  Kaye  did  not  hear  him  go. 
Outside,  in  the  hall,  the  valet  was  waiting,  almost  breath- 
less with  eagerness. 

"  Will  he  live  ?  "  he  questioned  in  a  whisper. 

"  Time  will  tell.  I  hope  so,"  was  the  unsatisfactory 
response. 


296  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Well,  if  he  don't,  that's  his  —  murderer." 

The  other  sprang  back  as  if  he  had  been  struck. 

"  Man,  take  care  what  you  say  !     How  dare  you  ?" 

"  Ain't  it  reasonable?  Didn't  he  say  he  was  the  man 
that  owned  the  mill,  this  house,  everything  before  mas- 
ter did  ?  Who  else  had  a  grudge  against  the  poor  old 
man  ? " 

"  Lots  of  people,  I  reckon.  It  won't  hurt  him  to  tell 
the  truth.  He  was  as  testy  as  a  snapping  turtle  —  you 
know  that.  Plenty  of  folks  disliked  him.  Most  likely 
the  person  who  attacked  him  was  a  tramp  who  hoped 
to  find  money.  By  the  way,  did  anybody  look  to  see  if 
there  had  been  robbery  as  well  as  assault  ?  " 

"  I  did.  No ;  there  wasn't  anything  stole,  so  far  as 
I  know.  That's  what,  one  thing  —  why  it  must  have 
been  —  " 

Dr.  Wise  laid  his  hand  on  Marshall's  shoulder. 

"  Look  here,  man,  you  stop  that  talk.  Not  another 
word  of  it.  How  dare  you,  I  say  how  dare  you,  thrust 
suspicion  upon  an  innocent  man  ?  I'd  stake  my  life  on 
the  integrity  of  any  Kaye  was  ever  born.  Unfortunate 
this  returned  wanderer  may  be,  but  —  If  you  let  me 
hear  one  single  word  more  of  such  fol-de-rol,  I'll 
make  it  hot  for  you.  Understand?  Haven't  we  got 
enough  on  our  hands  to  keep  your  master  alive  ?  There 
must  be  quiet  here,  absolute  quiet.  It's  your  busi- 
ness to  have  it  maintained;  and  if  you  don't,  I'll  have 
you  punished  as  accessory  to  the  deed.  Hear  me  ?  " 


FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME.  297 

All  this  had  been  delivered  in  the  lowest  tone  pos- 
sible, yet  each  syllable  was  as  distinctly  enunciated  as 
if  it  had  been  shouted.  The  doctor  knew  Marshall. 
He  chose  that  idle  threat  of  "  accessory  "  as  the  safest 
means  to  accomplish  his  own  object. 

This  was  all  very  well,  so  far  as  it  went.  Unfortu- 
nately, the  doctor  was  not  the  only  person  to  whom  the 
valet  had  already  announced  his  suspicion.  There  were 
other  servants  in  the  kitchen,  and  they  had  been  swiftly 
poisoned  by  his  opinion.  So  that  when,  after  a  sleep- 
less night  of  watching  beside  his  kinsman's  bed,  Fred- 
eric Kaye  set  off  for  "  Charity  House  "  and  his  relatives, 
he  was  even  then  a  marked  man. 

Into  the  sacredness  of  reunion,  when  the  little  family 
on  the  knoll  were  discussing  all  that  had  befallen  them, 
on  either  side,  and  the  two  men  were  renewing  old  affec- 
tions, while  Hallam  and  Amy  were  forming  new  ones 
for  this  new  uncle,  there  came  an  alarming  summons. 

A  local  officer  of  the  law  presented  himself  before  the 
group  and  on  behalf  of  the  public  safety  arrested  the 
stranger. 

"Arrest  me?  Why,  what  in  the  name  of  justice  do 
you  mean  ? " 

"Just  what  I  say.  For  the  attack  upon  a  peaceful 
citizen,  who  lies  at  the  point  of  death,  brought  there 
by  your  villainous  hand,"  repeated  the  sheriff,  solemnly. 
He  so  seldom  had  opportunity  to  exercise  his  office  that 
he  now  embellished  it  with  all  the  dignity  possible. 


298  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"Indeed,  take  care  of  your  words,  friend!  It  was 
a  case  of  rescue,  not  attack.  You  are  slightly  mixed  in 
your  ideas,  sir.  I  found  him  suffering  a  terrible  horse- 
whipping at  the  hands  of  somebody  whom  I  do  not 
know,  who  slipped  away  from  me  when  I  seized  him, 
and  disappeared  in  the  darkness.  I  was  too  anxious 
over  Mr.  Wingate  to  notice,  or  even  care,  which  direc- 
tion the  rascal  took.  But  —  aha,  it's  too  absurd !  " 

"Remember  that  whatever  you  say  will  be  used 
against  you,"  cautioned  the  officer  of  the  law. 

"  Let  it.     I  could  ask  no  better  treatment." 

"  You  say  you  grabbed  a  fellow.    What  was  he  like  ?  " 

"It  was  too  dark  to  see  distinctly.  He  appeared 
rather  tall  and  slim.  I  don't  remember  that  he  said 
a  word,  but  he  laughed  harshly  as  he  ran.  Somehow, 
that  laugh  gave  me  the  impression  that  the  man  was 
demented.  But  I  have  nothing  else  to  judge  by,  and  I 
would  not  be  unjust.  The  thing  for  which  to  be  thank- 
ful is  that  Dr.  Wise  hopes  my  kinsman's  injuries  are 
not  fatal." 

"  Hmm.  All  the  same,  sir,  you  will  have  to  go  with 
me." 

Frederic  Kaye  turned  toward  his  friends  a  counte- 
nance which  expressed  as  much  amusement  as  annoy- 
ance. Cuthbert  Kaye  had  risen,  and  his  face  was  white 
with  indignation.  The  sight  of  this,  determined  his 
brother-in-law  to  yield  quietly  to  the  inevitable.  He 
had  heard  much  during  his  night  with  Dr.  Wise  of  the 


FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME.  299 

artist's  recent  condition,  and  he  felt  it  would  be  crimi- 
nal to  let  him  become  excited  now.  So  he  laid  his 
hand  affectionately  upon  the  trembling  shoulder,  and 
remarked,  with  laughing  disdain  :  — 

"Why,  lad,  don't  think  of  it.  It's  a  ludicrous  mis- 
take, of  course,  and  the  best,  the  simplest  way  to  cor- 
rect it  is  for  me  to  go  with  this  gentleman ;  and  I  doubt 
not  I'll  be  back  in  time  for  dinner.  Why,  Cleena, 
woman,  take  care !  It's  delightful  to  find  you  so  loyal 
to  your  '  black  sheep,'  but  fisticuffs  won't  answer,  nor 
even  a  shillalah." 

This  was  a  diversion,  and  everybody  laughed.  For 
Cleena  had  advanced  threateningly  toward  the  sheriff, 
raising  her  rolling-pin,  that  she  happened  to  have  in 
hand,  as  if  she  would  bring  it  down  upon  his  offending 
head.  Her  hand  dropped  to  her  side,  but  her  eyes  did 
not  cease  to  hurl  contempt  upon  the  officer,  as,  under 
cover  of  the  merriment  resulting,  Frederic  Kaye  him- 
self led  the  way  out  of  the  house  toward  the  "  bar  of 
justice." 

Because  Cleena  fancied  that  Amy  had  taken  cold, 
the  girl  had  remained  at  home  that  morning,  but  she 
now  begged  to  be  allowed  to  return  to  the  mill. 

"  I  want  to  go  and  see  Mr.  Metcalf.  He'll  be  the 
very  one  to  help  Uncle  Frederic,  if  he  needs  help,  and 
I'd  rather  tell  him  the  story  myself." 

"  If  you  go,  I  will  too,"  said  Hallam,  quickly.  "  I'll 
have  no  holidays  you  do  not  share." 


30O  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Nonsense !  Your  work  is  '  piece  work.'  If  you  get 
behind  at  one  time,  you  can  make  it  up  at  another. 
The  superintendent  told  me  you  could  soon  bring  it 
home  to  do,  if  you  wished." 

"  But  I  shall  not  wish  —  not  for  the  present.  Let  us 
both  go." 

Mr.  Kaye  looked  up  as  if  he  would  remonstrate. 
Then  he  took  up  a  western  newspaper  that  their  guest 
had  laid  down,  and  began  to  read.  But  his  children 
had  seen  his  glance,  and  interpreted  it  to  themselves  by 
a  swift  exchange  of  their  own.  Amy's  eyes  spoke  to 
her  brother's,  as  plainly  as  words :  — 

"We  mustn't  leave  him  alone  to-day,"  and  Hallam's 
had  telegraphed  back  :  — 

"  No,  I  see  that.     One  of  us  must  stay." 

"  Well,  father,  Hal  is  not  half  so  necessary  to  the 
success  of  Ardsley  Mill  as  I  am.  He's  going  to  help 
you  mount  those  sketches  this  morning,  while  I  hunt 
up  Uncle  Frederic,  and  try  to  get  a  '  day  off '  to  visit 
with  him.  Cleena  must  dish  up  the  remains  of  the 
yesterday  dinner  for  us,  and  we'll  keep  Christmas  over 
again.  Isn't  it  just  lovely,  lovely,  to  have  one's  rela- 
tives turn  up  in  this  delightful  fashion  ?  First,  Cousin 
Archibald,  behaving  just  like  other  folks ;  and  now  this 
romantic  arrival  of  the  long-lost  uncle.  Good-by.  I'll 
be  back  as  soon  as  I  can." 

Mr.  Kaye  and  Hallam  repaired  to  the  upper  floor 
as  Amy  went  away,  but  Cleena  remained  standing  for  a 


FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME.  301 

long  time,  motionless  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  Her 
head  was  bent,  and  her  gaze  fixed,  as  if  she  were  study- 
ing some  matter  deeply.  Finally  she  roused  with  a 
mighty  sigh  and  stalked  out  of  the  room. 

"  Sure,  the  pother  o'  life.  It's  an'  up  an'  down,  so 
fast  it  makes  a  body  dizzy  in  their  wits.  That  boy, 
Fayetty,  one  day  as  good  as  a  fine  fish  o'  Friday ; 
the  next  —  eatin'  me  heart  out  with  the  worry.  Never 
a  doubt  I  doubt  'twas  himself  belabored  the  old  man  on 
his  road  home.  There's  bad  blood  'twixt  'em.  But  I'll 
aye  see  if  he's  in  his  bed  the  now." 

So  she  ascended  to  the  back  chamber  that  Fayette 
used.  To  her  knock  there  came,  at  first,  no  response ; 
but  she  kept  on  with  her  tapping  and  interspersed  this 
with  coaxing  tones,  and  finally  a  voice  answered  her. 

"  What  you  want  ?  " 

"  Yerself,  avick." 

"Well,  you  can't  have  me." 

"  Can  I  no  ?     It's  two  makes  a  bargain." 

"  Clear  out." 

"  After  you  is  manners  for  me.     Come  by." 

"  Leave  me  alone." 

"  I'd  take  shame  to  myself.  Have  ye  heard  the  fine 
doin's  ?  No  ?  " 

"What  doings?" 

"The  lad's  back  from  foreign  parts,  Miss  Amy's 
uncle.  He's  the  one  has  donkeys  in  his  pocket.  Heard 
ye  ever  o'  him  ? " 


3O2  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Where's  he  at  ?  " 

"  Faith,  I  d'  know.  Belike  he's  after  takin'  a  stroll 
about,  meetin'  old  friends.  What  for  no  ?  Come  on 
an'  help  me  get  a  fine  dinner  out  o'  scraps." 

"  Suppose  he'd  give  me  one  ? " 

"  Never  a  doubt  I  doubt,  he  II  give  ye  all  ye  deserve. 
Come  by.  There's  kindlin'  to  split  an'  praties  to  peel, 
an'  _.  Whist !  What's  that  I  hear  ?  " 

Fayette's  curiosity  was  very  strong.  It  had  led  him 
into  trouble  more  than  once.  It  now  induced  him  to 
open  the  door  and  peep  through. 

"  What's  that,  Cleena  ?     Anything  happenin'  ?  " 

"  Arrah  musha,  but  I  think  yes  !  " 

"  What  ? " 

"  Sure,  if  ye're  askin',  I'm  believin'  it's  Willyum 
Gladstone  happenin'  down  in  your  minin'  hole." 

"  Huckleberries !  " 

The  door  flew  open,  Fayette  rushed  by  as  if  he  could 
not  move  half  fast  enough.  It  seemed  to  Cleena  he 
cleared  the  stairs  with  two  bounds,  and  an  instant  after 
she  heard  him  hurrying  into  the  cellar  at  the  same 
headlong  pace. 

"  Hmm.  I  thought  that'd  fetch  him,"  she  chuckled. 
Then  she  suddenly  remembered  that  she  had  once 
heard  the  lad  speak  of  using  "  giant  powder,"  or  some 
such  explosive  in  his  work  of  the  underground  passage. 
She  had  strictly  forbidden  this,  and  had  carefully 
watched  lest  any  suspicious  material  might  be  brought 


FREDERIC  KAYE'S  WELCOME  HOME.  303 

upon  the  premises.  She  had  even  persuaded  Teamster 
John  to  examine  the  trench  and  the  articles  which 
Fayette  had  placed  there.  He  had  found  nothing 
wrong,  and  the  pick  and  the  shovel  had  been  so  long 
disused  that  they  had  rusted.  Of  late  Cleena  had  let 
William  Gladstone  play  down  there  in  the  soft  dirt, 
while  she  was  busy  at  other  things. 

"  Alanna,  the  day  !  " 

Cleena  followed  her  leader  only  a  trifle  less  swiftly, 
and  reached  the  top  of  the  cellar  stairs  just  in  time  to 
receive  a  whirling  object  plump  in  her  arms.  The 
object  was  the  incipient  statesman,  and  in  a  second 
more  the  half-wit  had  also  reached  the  kitchen  floor 
and  had  shut  the  door  behind  him. 

"  I'll  teach  him  to  interfere  with  my  gold  mine ! " 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

FAIRACRES    IS    CLOSED. 

,  Mr.  Metcalf,  may  I  come  in  ? " 
The  superintendent  was  alone  in  his  office  and 
admitted   Amy  at   once.     "Such   strange   things  have 
happened,   I've  not  come  to  work  to-day,  but  to  ask 
your  help.     My  Uncle  Frederic  —  " 

"  Sit  down,  child,  you  are  breathless  with  haste.  You 
needn't  talk.  I  have  heard  your  news.  Dr.  Wise  has 
sent  me  a  message.  I  am  expecting  him  here  imme- 
diately." 

"  Isn't  it  dreadful  ?  " 

"  Very,"  answered  the  gentleman,  and  his  grave  face 
emphasized  his  words.  He  knew  Archibald  Wingate 
better  than  anybody  else  could  know  him.  He  was  the 
rich  man's  confidential  employee,  from  whom  no  weak- 
nesses were  hid.  He  believed  the  mill  owner  to  be  vin- 
dictive, and  he  had  heard  his  often-expressed  contempt 
for  the  "whole  family  of  Kaye,  so  far  as  its  men  are 
concerned."  Of  course,  this  had  been  some  time  ago ; 
before  Fairacres  had  become  Mr.  Wingate's  home. 
Since  then  his  enmity  toward  his  relatives  had  seemed 
to  slumber,  it  had  even  altered  to  a  sort  of  friendli- 
3°4 


FAIRACRES   IS   CLOSED.  305 

ness;  yet  Mr.  Metcalf  had  no  faith  in  the  endurance 
of  this  friendliness  should  any  test  be  put  upon  it.  The 
attack  of  the  night  before  had  pointed  suspicion  very 
strongly  toward  one  of  "the  Kayes,"  and  should  the 
victim  recover,  he  would,  doubtless,  prosecute  to  the 
full  extent  of  the  law  the  person  who  had  assaulted 
him. 

"  Do  you  know  how  he  is  ? " 

"  Of  whom  do  you  ask  ? " 

"  Cousin  Archibald,  of  course.  I  am  so  sorry  for 
him.  If  I  hadn't  to  work,  I  would  go  and  take  care  of 
him,  if  he'd  let  me." 

"  I  don't  think  he  would.  Besides,  you  would  not  be 
either  strong  or  wise  enough.  He  must  have  trained 
nursing,  the  best  obtainable.  I  hear  that  he  has  recov- 
ered consciousness  and  is  resting  quietly.  What  com- 
plications may  arise  one  cannot  foresee.  He  has  been 
a  high  liver,  and  he  is  an  old  man ;  but  I  hope  for  the 
best.  I  hope  it  not  only  for  his  sake,  but  everybody's 
concerned." 

"Wasn't  it  queer  that  that  man,  that  officer,  —  a  sher- 
iff he  called  himself,  —  should  come  after  my  uncle  ? 
It  frightened  my  father,  so  Hallam  stayed  with  him.  I'm 
sorry  to  be  away  from  my  place  to-day,  but  Cleena  fan- 
cies I  have  taken  cold.  Then,  too,  since  Uncle  Frederic 
came,  of  course  I  should  devote  myself  to  him.  He's 
just  splendid.  So  big  and  strong  and  jolly.  Even 
under  his  sorrow  about  my  mother  he  is  as  sunshiny  as 


306  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

possible.  He's  like  a  fresh  west  wind  that  '  airs '  a 
house  so  wonderfully.  I  do  want  you  to  see  him  ;  and  I 
came  to  ask  if  you'd  just  go  and  explain  to  that  sheriff 
how  silly  it  is  to  suspect  him." 

Mr.  Metcalf  regarded  Amy  for  a  moment  in  silence. 
With  all  her  good  sense,  she  was  as  ignorant  as  a  child 
of  many  things  in  practical  life.  He  answered  her  very 
gently  :  — 

"  I  expect  to  see  him  soon,  that  is  my  intention. 
Dr.  Wise  and  I  will  become  his  '  bail ',  so  that  he  can 
soon  be  set  at  liberty." 

"  I  do  not  understand  you.     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  this :  your  uncle  has  been  arrested  upon 
suspicion  of  waylaying  and  assaulting  Mr.  Wingate. 
He  will  be  imprisoned  unless  somebody  becomes  surety 
for  him,  that  he  will  appear  at  court  when  summoned 
to  stand  his  trial  and  prove  his  innocence  if  he  can.  It 
is  right  you  should  know  this,  though  extremely  dis- 
agreeable for  me  to  speak  of  it." 

Amy's  face  paled  as  he  talked.  She  did  not  wonder 
that  her  father  had  been  frightened.  The  thing  was 
horrible,  and  the  disgrace  of  it  crushed  her.  She  bowed 
her  head  beneath  its  weight,  and  sat  silent  so  long  that 
the  superintendent  was  moved  to  rise  and  comfort  her. 

"  Don't  take  it  so  to  heart,  my  child ;  there  is,  of 
course,  some  great  mistake.  The  thing  is  —  to  find 
out  who  the  real  assailant  was  and  bring  him  to  jus- 
tice. This,  unfortunately,  will  be  a  difficult  matter." 


FAIRACRES    IS    CLOSED. 


307 


"  No ;  I  won't  mind  it.  Why  should  I  ?  If  he  had 
done  this  wicked  thing,  I  should  be  right  to  feel  shame ; 
but  he  didn't.  Oh !  I've  just  thought  of  something 
that  might  help.  Uncle  Frederic  said  he  caught  the 
man  by  the  collar,  and  the  man  slipped  out  of  his 
coat  and  ran  away.  Where  is  the  coat  ?  Has  anybody 
looked  for  it  ?  " 

"  Several  persons,  my  own  messenger  among  others. 
There  is  no  trace  of  any  garment  anywhere  near  the 
highroad.  If  we  could  find  that,  as  you  say,  it  would 
simplify  matters  greatly.  Come  with  me  ;  I  heard  Nan- 
ette wishing  she  could  show  you  her  Christmas  gifts. 
To  hear  her  describe  each,  one  would  imagine  she  could 
see  them.  She  is  so  interested  about  Balaam,  too. 
She  wonders  where  he  is,  and  if  he  misses  Pepita  as 
much  as  she  would  miss  one  of  her  numerous  sisters. 
When  Dr.  Wise  has  been  here  and  we  have  concluded 
our  business,  I  will  call  for  you,  probably,  with  your 
uncle.  I  have  a  new  horse  I'm  anxious  to  try,  and 
things  are  so  unsettled  here  to-day  — " 

"Unsettled?" 

"Yes;  Ardsley  doesn't  often  have  such  a  sensation 
as  its  wealthiest  citizen  being  horsewhipped.  It's  diffi- 
cult to  get  the  hands  to  work  regularly.  It's  just  as 
well  you  do  not  try,  till  it's  blown  over.  You  would  be 
asked  no  end  of  questions,  idle  as  the  people  who  would 
put  them." 

In  his  kind  heart  he  wished  to  save  her  not  only  the 


308  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

questions,  but  the  shadow  which  might  rest  upon  her 
because  of  her  misjudged  relative.  By  nightfall,  or 
earlier,  he  was  determined  to  have  the  Californian  set 
at  liberty.  It  was  an  outrage  that  one  who  acted  the 
good  Samaritan  should  receive  such  reward,  and  he  be- 
lieved that  two  as  influential  townsmen  as  Dr.  Wise 
and  himself  could,  by  their  indorsement  of  the  pris- 
oner, turn  the  tide  of  public  opinion  in  his  favor. 

So  Amy  went  again  to  the  Metcalf  home  and  forgot 
all  her  cares  in  the  midst  of  its  bright  young  people. 
The  hours  went  swiftly  round,"and  it  was  not  till  the 
gate  clicked  and  a  trio  of  gentlemen  came  striding  up 
the  path  that  she  remembered  how  anxious  she  had 
been. 

Then  she  sped  out  of  the  house  and  flung  herself- 
into  her  uncle's  arms. 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  they  found  out  their  mistake ! 
How  ashamed  that  sheriff  will  be  !  Please,  Mr.  Met- 
calf, may  I  show  him  his  own  little  Pepita,  that  was  ? 
And  thank  you  for  helping  him  to  explain,  or  for  the 
'  bail,'  and  everything.  Thank  you,  too,  Dr.  Wise.  Do 
you  know  how  Mr.  Wingate  is  ?  " 

"  Improving.  He's  pretty  badly  scared  and  shocked, 
but  I  think  he  will  come  out  all  right." 

"Can  he  tell  who  struck  him?  That  would  clear 
everything  up  all  right." 

"  Yes ;  it  would  be  a  simple  solution  of  the  matter. 
I  am  hoping  he  will  be  able  to  tell,  after  a  while ;  but 


FAIRACRES   IS   CLOSED.  309 

for  the  present  my  object  is  to  prevent,  as  far  as  possi- 
ble, his  recalling  the  incident.  He  must  not  be  excited, 
else  there  may  be  fever.  But  all  in  good  time,  I  think. 
Now  Mr.  Metcalf  has  invited  us  to  ride  behind  his  new 
horse.  I  have  an  hour  of  leisure,  and  I  propose  to  show 
this  old  Ardsley  boy  the  changes  a  few  years  have  made, 
even  in  our  quiet  town.  Did  I  hear  anything  about  a 
small  girl  named  Amy  being  one  of  the  party  ? " 

"  Indeed,  you  did.  Oh,  what  a  treat!  A  real  Christ- 
mas gift.  To  ride  behind  a  brand  new  horse,  beside  a 
brand  new  uncle,  in  a  brand  new  carriage,  is  enough  to 
turn  my  head;  so  forgive  me  if  I'm  silly  —  sillier  than 
common.  And  oh,  Mr.  Metcalf,  can't  Nanette  go  too  ? 
She's  so  little  she  takes  up  no  room  worth  mentioning, 
and  I  love  her." 

It  was  a  merry  party.  Amy  believed  that  all  the 
morning's  trouble  had  been  overcome,  and  did  not  real- 
ize that  being  out  on  bail  was  in  itself  sort  of  an  impris- 
onment to  a  man  of  honor.  Until  the  real  culprit  was 
found  Frederic  Kaye  would  still  be  under  suspicion  ;  yet 
he  could  enjoy  his  parole,  and  this  ride  had  been  pur- 
posely planned  by  his  friends  as  a  means  of  influencing 
that  variable  public  opinion  which  had  first  promptly 
misjudged  him. 

Therefore,  they  drove  through  the  principal  streets  of 
the  town,  past  all  its  business  places,  and  lingered  by 
the  haunts  of  the  village  gossips,  that  Ardsleyites  might 
see  and  comment. 


3IO  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"Well,  if  that  don't  beat  all !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Hack- 
ett  to  her  customers.  "There's  Dr.  Wise  and  the 
'  Supe  '  driving  Mister  Fred  all  over  creation.  I  guess 
they  don't  believe  anything  against  him,  bad  as  things 
look.  I  don't  know  as  'tis  right,  either.  I  guess  I'll 
wait  and  see  before  I  make  up  my  mind." 

But  having  already  spread  the  "  news  "  by  means  of 
every  villager  who  had  visited  her  place  of  business  that 
morning,  this  was  rather  late  in  season  to  stem  the  tide 
of  rumor ;  though  on  the  principle  of  "  better  late  than 
never,"  it  may  have  done  some  good. 

When  the  ride  was  over  and  the  Kayes  deposited  at 
the  door  of  "Charity  House,"  Amy  was  in  the  wildest  of 
spirits.  It  seemed  to  her  as  if  the  world  were  the  love- 
liest, friendliest  place,  and  her  gayety  infected  all 
about  her.  The  gentlemen  accompanied  Mr.  Frederic 
into  the  new  home  and  spent  an  hour  delightfully  with 
the  artist,  amid  his  pictures.  Then  Cleena,  aided  by 
Amy,  brought  in  a  tray  of  luncheon,  and  they  stayed  to 
share  it. 

"  Blessings  on  Teamster  John's  turkey.  What  a  lot  of 
comfort  it  has  given  lots  of  folks !  "  remarked  Amy  to 
Cleena,  in  the  kitchen,  as  she  surveyed  the  neatly 
arranged  tray. 

"  Yes,  so  be.  Arrah  musha,  were  the  man  as  sensible 
as  his  fowl  I'd  know.  But,  colleen,  keep  an  eye  to  that 
back  door.  Fayette's  behind,  in  the  store  closet.  It's 
behind  he  must  stay  or  there's  mischief  a-brewin'." 


FAIRACRES    IS   CLOSED.  311 

"  Indeed,  I  wonder  he  isn't  putting  himself  forward, 
to  attract  Uncle  Frederic's  notice,  as  he  always  does  of 
strangers.  Well,  poor  lad,  I  fancy  the  introduction  can 
wait.  When  you've  carried  in  the  tray,  I'll  go  and 
serve  them." 

But  after  the  light  meal  was  over  and  the  guests 
departed,  Hallam  became  absorbed  in  the  new  maga- 
zines that  his  uncle  produced  from  his  valise ;  while  the 
elder  Kayes  dropped  back  into  the  reminiscences  that 
were  so  interesting  to  themselves  and  so  dull  to  Amy. 
Try  as  she  would,  now  that  all  was  quiet,  she  could  not  keep 
from  her  mind  a  picture  of  Archibald  Wingate,  riding 
home  from  a  pleasant  visit  and  suffering  such  mischance. 

"  My  first  little  dinner-party,  too.  I  must  go  and  see 
him.  I  must  tell  him  that  I  am  sorry.  I  must  offer  to 
help." 

So,  after  a  while,  as  the  afternoon  waned,  Amy  put  on 
her  outdoor  things,  and  telling  only  Cleena  her  errand, 
set  off  for  Fairacres.  She  was  admitted  by  a  strange 
servant,  and  was  passing  straight  toward  the  room 
which  her  cousin  occupied  when  she  was  met  and 
prevented  by  Marshall. 

"  If  you  please,  miss,  he's  allowed  to  see  nobody." 

"  Not  even  me  ?  Surely,  I  will  not  disturb  him.  I 
won't  even  speak  to  him,  if  that  will  hurt  him.  I  just 
want  to  satisfy  myself  how  badly  he's  injured,  and 
maybe  smile  at  him.  Just  that  little  bit.  Oh,  Mr. 
Marshall,  isn't  it  so  sad !  I'm  so  very,  very  sorry." 


312  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"Yes,  and  well  you  might  be,  miss.  No,  not  even 
to  look  at  him.  He's  not  to  be  worried  by  nobody." 

So  Amy  went  sorrowfully  home  again,  and  as  she 
had  to  resume  her  labor  in  the  mill  at  such  an  early 
hour  the  following  day,  she  could  not  repeat  her  visit 
until  another  night  came  round.  Frederic  Kaye  had 
gone  to  the  mansion,  however,  and  had  been  coldly 
assured  by  the  officious  Marshall  that  "the  master  was 
doing  well."  This  bulletin  had  been  issued  through 
the  upper  half  of  the  old-fashioned  door,  which  opened 
across  its  middle,  and  to  effect  an  entrance  the  caller 
would  have  had  to  force  the  bolts  of  the  lower  half. 
The  valet  regarded  the  Californian  with  suspicion  that, 
as  the  latter  admitted,  was  not  ill-founded ;  and  he  had 
not  forgotten  the  feel  of  the  stranger's  boot-toe  on  the 
night  of  the  accident.  So  he  kept  a  safe  barricade  of 
the  premises,  and  Frederic  also  went  away  unsatisfied. 

For  several  days  these  visits  were  repeated,  with  simi- 
lar results  ;  but  when  Sunday  came  round  and  she  had 
daylight  for  her  purpose,  Amy  again  hurried  to  Fair- 
acres. 

"  I'll  see  him  this  time,  if  I  have  to  climb  over  Mar- 
shall's objecting  shoulders,"  she  merrily  cried  to  Cleena, 
as  she  departed. 

But  when  she  reached  the  old  homestead  she  found  it 
desolate.  The  light  snow  which  had  fallen  overnight  lay 
everywhere  undisturbed.  No  paths  had  been  cleared 
nor  entrances  swept.  The  windows  were  closed  and 


FAIRACRES    IS    CLOSED.  313 

shuttered  as  Amy  never  had  seen  them.  Even  the 
stables  were  shut  up  and  deserted;  and  after  a  half 
hour  of  vain  efforts  to  arouse  somebody,  the  disap- 
pointed girl  returned  to  "Charity  House." 

"  Troth,  ye  went  away  like  a  feather,  an'  you  come 
home  like  a  log.  What's  happened,  me  colleen  ?  " 

"  He's  gone.  I  can't  see  him.  I  can't  tell  him.  Oh, 
I'm  so  sorry,  so  sorry !  " 

To  comfort  her,  Uncle  Frederic  paid  a  visit  to  Dr. 
Wise,  and  came  back  with  news  that  was  not  very  satis- 
factory. Without  consulting  the  physician,  Mr.  Win- 
gate  had  suddenly  decided  to  go  south  for  the  winter. 
Marshall  had  attended  to  everything.  The  horses  and 
cattle  had  been  sent  from  Fairacres  to  one  of  the  out- 
lying farms  belonging  to  the  estate.  There  was  no 
reference  to  future  return,  and  Mr.  Metcalf  had  been 
instructed  to  settle  all  accounts.  Beyond  this  there  was 
no  mention  of  anybody,  and  no  address  was  left  except 
that  of  the  mill  owner's  city  bankers,  who  would  for- 
ward any  necessary  papers.  Mr.  Wingate  had  gone 
away  for  absolute  rest,  and  wished  not  to  hear  from 
Ardsley  unless  under  extreme  necessity. 

So  Amy's  dream  of  a  reunited  family,  of  that  peace 
and  happiness  which  should  exist  between  Fairacres  and 
"  Charity  House,"  came  to  an  end.  But  other  hopes  and 
plans  took  its  place,  and  she  returned  to  her  mill  work 
on  the  Monday,  too  busy  and  eager  to  spend  time  in 
useless  regret. 


314  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  The  best  thing  about  life,"  observed  this  wise  young 
person  to  her  Uncle  Frederic,  "  is  that  it  has  to  keep 
right  on.  There's  so  much  to  do,  and  the  days  are  so 
short,  if  a  body  grieves  one  moment  he's  sure  to  laugh 
the  next.  And,  uncle,  I've  such  a  lovely  idea  about  a 
'  club  '  for  the  mill  folks.  To  take  the  place  of  one  that 
—  doesn't  seem  to  help  them  much.  I  believe  you're 
the  very  man  to  arrange  everything,  and  that  you  were 
sent  home  just  in  time." 

"Wh-e-w!  A  Daniel  come  to  judgment?  No,  a 
faithful  daughter  of  a  brave,  unselfish  woman.  You'll 
never  be  Salome,  little  girl,  but  maybe  you  will  be  an 
improvement  even  on  her.  All  her  good  sense  with  a 
little  more  —  snap." 

"Considerable  more  snap  than  wisdom,  I  fancy," 
laughed  she,  and  sped  down  the  hill  to  join  Gwendolyn 
for  her  walk  millward. 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

MYSTERIES  AND   MASTERIES. 

"OURE,  Mister  Frederic,  I'd  be  proud  to  show  ye  the 
O  cellar  that's  doin'  below.  Would  he  mind  comin' 
the  now  ? " 

"  A  '  cellar  below '  is  surely  in  its  proper  place.  I'll 
be  delighted  to  view  it,  Mistress  Goodsoul." 

"  Alanna,  it  was  ever  yourself  had  a  jest  an'  a  twist 
of  a  body's  words !  To  my  notion,  it's  a  tidy  job,  but  I 
sometimes  misgives  it's  no  all  right  for  the  house." 

"  Then  it  surely  should  be  looked  after.  Who's  doing 
it  for  you?" 

"That  silly  one  I  was  tellin'  you  about.  He's  — 
he's  —  "  The  woman  glanced  over  her  shoulder,  as  if 
she  feared  to  be  heard.  This  was  a  curious  circum- 
stance in  the  case  of  one  so  frank  as  she,  and  her  old 
friend  commented  on  it. 

"Why  so  mysterious,  Cleena?  Secrets  afoot?  But 
it's  after  Christmas,  not  before  it." 

"  Come  by." 

He  followed  her  gayly  down  the  stairs  into  the  one 
central  cellar,  and  from  this  slightly  farther  into  another, 
being  opened  toward  the  side.  She  carried  a  lighted 


316  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

candle  in  her  hand,  and  painted  with  pride  to  the  neat- 
ness of  the  work  as  far  as  it  had  proceeded. 

"  Nobody  could  ha'  done  it  finer,  eh  ? " 

"  It  seems  all  right.  The  walls  will  have  to  be  sup- 
ported, of  course,  though  it  looks  a  solid  rock.  Old 
Ingraham  obeyed  the  Scripture  injunction  in  letter,  if 
not  in  spirit.  What  does  Cuthbert  think  of  this  ? " 

"  The  same  as  of  most  things  —  nothin'  at  all.  So 
long  as  he's  his  bit  pictures  an'  books  to  pore  over,  the 
very  house  might  tumble  about  his  ears  an'  no  heed. 
There's  been  no  nerve  frettin'  nor  crossness  since  the 
mistress  was  called  —  not  once.  He's  a  saint  the  now. 
But  it's  aye  good  ye're  come  home,  Mister  Fred." 

"  And  it's  good  to  hear  you  say  so,  old  friend.  Yet 
if  it  suits  you  just  as  well,  I'd  prefer  to  have  you  say  it 
up  in  the  open.  I'm  not  a  lover  of  dark  cellars,  or  of 
holes  that  may  be  cellars  some  day.  Come  out  of  it ; 
it  gives  me  the  'creeps.'  " 

"  Ye  believe  it's  all  safe,  eh  ?  " 

"  Safe  enough  so  far." 

"  Come  by.  If  you  like  not  this  place,  you  must  e'en 
bide  the  kitchen  a  bit.  I've  somewhat  to  speak  to  you." 

Cleena  started  back  over  the  way  they  had  come,  and 
Mr.  Kaye  was  following  her,  when  he  stumbled  against 
something  soft,  and  fell  headlong  in  the  mud;  but  he 
was  up  again  in  an  instant,  no  worse  for  the  accident 
save  by  the  soil  upon  his  clothing.  He  had  grasped 
the  thing  over  which  he  had  tripped,  and  held  it  up  to 
the  candle-light. 


MYSTERIES    AND    MASTERIES.  317 

"  Hello  !  Seems  to  me  I've  seen  this  garment,  or  felt 
it,  before.  That  peculiarity  of  a  cloth  coat  with  a 
leather  collar  is  noticeable.  Whose  is  it,  Cleena?" 

"  Fetch  it,"  she  commanded  tersely,  and  he  obeyed 
her.  Once  in  the  better  lighted  kitchen  she  extin- 
guished the  candle,  carefully  closed  all  the  doors,  and 
seated  herself  near  her  visitor.  She  had  taken  the  coat 
from  him,  and  laid  it  upon  her  own  knees.  Her  man- 
ner was  still  full  of  that  mystery  which  consorted  so 
oddly  with  her  honest,  open  face. 

"  I  thought  so.     I  thought  so,  so  I  did." 

"Very  likely." 

"Cease  yer  haverin',  lad.     There's  matter  here." 

"  Considerable.  Upon  my  clothes,  too.  The  matter 
seems  to  be  of  the  same  sort — rather  brown  and  sticky, 
what  the  farmers  call  '  loom.'  " 

"  Know  you  whose  coat  this  be  ? " 

"  Never  a  know  I  know,"  he  mimicked,  enjoying  his 
bit  of  nonsense  with  this  old  friend  of  his  youth. 

"  It's  Fayetty's." 

"  Your  superior  cellar  digger  ?     Whew  !  " 

He  had  now  become  quite  as  serious  as  she  desired. 
"  Cleena,  this  is  a  bad  business.  This  coat  was  on  the 
back  of  the  man  who  horsewhipped  Mr.  Wingate." 

"  I  thought  it ;  but,  mind  you,  me  lad,  he's  not  for 
punishin'." 

"  Hold  on,  he  certainly  is.  Don't  you  know  that 
I  — I,  a  Kaye,  am  under  suspicion  of  this  dastardly 


318  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

thing?  Of  course  you  do.  Well,  then,  I'm  going  to 
step  out  from  under  the  suspicion  with  neatness  and 
despatch.  How  long  have  you  been  hiding  this, 
Cleena  ? " 

"  The  poor  chap's  been  here  ever  since.  Only  once 
a  day  he  slips  out,  but  he's  back  by  night.  Oh,  he's 
safe  enough  the  now." 

"  Glad  of  it.  Like  to  have  him  handy ;  and  as  soon 
as  you've  finished  what  you  have  to  say,  I'll  walk  into 
the  village  and  inform  the  sheriff,  or  somebody  who 
should  know." 

"You'll  do  naught  like  it." 

"  Why,  Cleena,  woman,  have  you  lost  your  good 
sense  ? " 

"  Have  I  saved  it,  no  ?  Hear  me.  I  know  'twas  me 
poor  little  Gineral  Bonyparty  't  did  the  deed.  I  knew, 
soon  as  I  heard  the  tale  o'  the  coat.  You're  no  so  stu- 
pid yerself.  You  recognized  it  immediate.  It  was  a 
part  o'  his  uniform  he  wore  a-paradin'.  His  notion 
'twould  save  the  collar  clean  o'  the  jacket  I  fixed  him. 
He's  never  no  care  in  all  his  hard  life  till  he  met  up 
with  me.  The  poor  little  gossoon !  " 

"  Cleena,  Cleena,  turncoat !  Wasn't  I  once,  on  a  day 
gone  by,  another  '  poor  little  gossoon '  ?  But  come, 
drop  nonsense;  it's  a  disgracefully  serious  business 
for  me  and  for  your  whole  family." 

"  It's  because  o'  the  family  I  say  it.  The  lad's  for  no 
punishin'.  Not  yet.  You're  big  an'  strong,  an'  uncom- 


MYSTERIES   AND   MASTERIES.  319 

mon  light  o'  heart.  It'll  do  ye  no  harm.  The  suspi- 
cioned  you  must  be  till —  Wait  lad.  You  loved  the 
mistress,  Salome  ? " 

"Why,  Cleena,  you  know  it!  " 

"  Love  you  her  childer  ?  " 

"  Dearly ;  for  their  sakes  I  must  shake  off  this 
obnoxious  misjudgment."  He  shrugged  his  shoulders 
as  if  the  obloquy  were  a  tangible  load  that  could  be 
shifted. 

"  Hallam,  the  cripple,  that's  walked  never  a  step 
since  a  diny  dony  thing,  an'  a  bad  nurse  set  him  prone 
on  the  cold  stones  o'  the  nasty  cellar  house  where 
her  kind  lived.  That  winter  in  the  town,  an'  me 
mindin'  the  mistress  with  Miss  Amy  a  babe.  How 
could  we  watch  all  the  time  ?  He  must  have  the  air, 
what  for  no  ?  An'  her  with  a  face  as  smooth  as  bees- 
wax. Down  on  the  cold,  damp  stones  she'd  put  him, 
whiles  off  with  her  young  man  she'd  be  trapesin',  an' 
him  made  a  cripple  for  life." 

"Yes,  Cleena,  I  remember  it  all.  And  how,  as 
Amy  tells  me,  almost  a  fortune  has  been  spent  to  re- 
store him.  But  if  ever  I  earn  enough  to  try  again,  I'll 
never  rest  till  every  doctor  in  the  world,  who  under- 
stands such  things,  shall  tell  me  there  is  no  hope." 

"  Good  lad.     Aye,  aye,  good  lad  !  " 

The  gentleman  looked  at  her  in  amazement.  This 
had  been  the  old  servant's  term  of  commendation  when 
he  had  refrained  from  some  of  his  youthful  and  natural 


32O  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

mischievousness.  She  seemed  to  mean  it  just  as  ear- 
nestly now.  Suddenly  she  leaned  forward  and  placed 
her  hands  upon  his  knees. 

"  Say  it  again,  avick.  You'd  do  all  in  your  power  for 
me  darlin'  Master  Hallam,  what  for  no  ? " 

"What  idleness  to  ask!  I  would  give  anything  in 
this  world  to  see  him  cured." 

"  The  Kayes  are  aye  proud,  in  troth.  Yer  honor, 
lad  ;  even  yer  honor  ?  " 

"  Hmm,  well  —  yes.     Even  my  honor." 

"  Hark  to  me." 

For  five  minutes  thereafter  Cleena  talked,  and  not 
once  did  her  listener  interrupt.  Her  words  were  spoken 
in  that  sibilant  whisper  that  is  louder  than  ordinary 
speech,  and  not  one  of  them  was  lost.  When  she  had 
finished,  she  rose  and  demanded,  laying  her  hand  upon 
Mr.  Kaye's  shoulder  :  — 

"  Now,  Mister  Fred,  will  ye  leave  me  gineral  be  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Cleena.  For  the  present,  till  a  final  test  comes, 
he  shall  be  safe  from  any  interference  from  me.  I'll 
take  him  under  my  personal  protection.  I'll  make  my- 
self his  friend.  He  shall  have  a  fair  chance.  If  he 
fails  —  " 

"  He'll  no  fail !  he'll  no  fail,  laddie !  Such  as  him  is 
the  Lord's  own.  Whist,  alanna,  here  he  comes." 

Fayette  approached  the  entrance,  walking  stealthily, 
and  casting  furtive  glances  toward  that  part  of  the 
building  where  the  guest  had  hitherto  remained.  Ap- 


MYSTERIES    AND    MASTERIES.  321 

parently  satisfied  that  the  coast  was  clear,  he  crept  to 
the  door  and  tapped  it  twice. 

Cleena  nodded  her  head,  and  Frederic  Kaye  opened 
to  admit  the  boy,  who  would  have  retreated  when  he  saw 
the  stranger,  had  not  his  arm  been  caught  and  held  so 
firmly  he  could  not  writhe  himself  free. 
"  Leave  me  alone.     What  you  doin'  ?  " 
"  Why,  I  haven't  had  the  pleasure  of   meeting  you 
since  Christmas  night." 

"  'Twasn't   me.      I    never   done   it.      Leave   me   be. 
Huckleberries!  I'll  smash  ye!" 

"Why,   Fayette,   I'm    astonished.      Be  quiet,  listen. 
I  know  you  —  I  know  all  about  you.    You  have  got  to 
behave.       You    must    stay  here    and   do   exactly  what 
Cleena  and  I  tell  you  to  do.     You'll  be  treated  well. 
I'll  show  you  how  you  can  make  a  lot  of  that  money 
you  like  so  much ;  upon  condition,  though  —  upon  the 
one  condition  that  you  simply  behave  correctly.     You 
are  wise  enough  to  understand  me.     If  you  disobey  or 
prove  tricky  —  well,  I  have  but  to  hand  you  over  to 
the  law  and  you're  settled.     Do  you  understand  ? " 
"  You  mean,  if  I  don't  mind,  they'll  jail  me  ? " 
"  That's  it,  exactly.     You're  cleverer  than  I  hoped." 
"  All  right ;  I'll  do  it.    Say,  I  believe  Balaam's  sick." 
"  Balaam  ?      Have  you  got  him,  too  ?      Are  you  a 
horse  thief  as  well  as  highwayman  ?     Well,  poor  fel- 
low, it's  lucky  your  lot  is  cast  in  this  peaceful  valley 
instead  of  on  the  frontier.     Where  is  he  ? " 


322  ,  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  I  rode  him  to  a  place  I  know.  There  was  plenty  o' 
fodder  once,  but  it's  been  took.  He  hain't  had  much 
to  eat,  an'  maybe  that's  it.  I  was  bound  old  Wingate 
shouldn't  get  him." 

"  Look  here,  young  man,  call  nobody  names. 
That's  not  allowed.  And  now  you  travel  after  Balaam. 
If  he's  too  sick  for  you  to  manage  alone,  I'll  go  with 
you  ;  if  not,  you  must  do  it.  How  far  away  is  he  ?  " 

"  Not  more  'n  a  mile." 

"  Fetch  him.  I've  something  to  tell  you,  for  your 
own  benefit.  I'll  teach  you  how  to  grow  mushrooms, 
down  in  that  cellar  you're  digging.  Well-grown  ones 
will  bring  you  a  dollar  a  pound.  I  know,  I've  raised 
them.  I'd  made  a  fortune  only  I  love  daylight  and 
hate  darkness.  If  you  can  stand  the  underground  part 
just  for  fun,  you'll  make  it  pay." 

"  Huckleberries  !     I'll  get  him.     I'll  hurry  back." 

As  if  he  expected  the  new  enterprise  to  begin  that 
very  night  the  lad  started  down  the  hill.  Already  there 
was  a  manlier  bearing  about  his  ill-shaped  body.  The 
necessity  for  hiding  which  he  had  felt  had  been  removed, 
and  he  was  a  free  lad  again. 

An  hour  later  Frederic  Kaye  saw  him  reappear,  riding 
the  apparently  restored  burro,  and  smiled  grimly. 

"  Hmm.  Well,  I'm  in  for  it.  I'm  to  remain  under 
the  cloud  for  an  indefinite  time.  If  it  succeeds  —  I'll 
not  regret.  If  it  doesn't,  maybe  the  Lord  will  square 
it  up  to  my  account,  against  the  thoughtless  neglect  I 


MYSTERIES    AND    MASTERIES.  323 

showed  Salome.  Now,  I'll  go  out  and  interview  my 
old  acquaintance  of  the  Sierras.  I  wonder  is  his  voice 
as  mellifluous  as  erstwhile  !  " 

"  Br-a-a-ay !    Ah-umph !    A-h-h-u-m-p-h ! !  "  responded 
Balaam,  from  afar. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A    PICNIC    IN   THE    GLEN. 

IT  is  amazing  how  fast  time  flies  when  one  is  busy. 
At  "Charity  House"  all  were  busy,  and  to  all  the 
winter  passed  with  incredible  swiftness. 

To  Amy  each  day  seemed  too  short  to  accomplish 
half  she  desired,  and  each  one  held  some  new,  fascinat- 
ing interest  in  that  study  of  life  which  so  absorbed  her. 

"  You're  the  funniest  girl,  Amy.  Even  the  lengthen- 
ing of  the  days,  getting  a  little  lighter  in  the  mornings, 
week  by  week,  so  we  can  see  the  sun  rise  and  such 
things,  as  we  walk  to  work  —  I'd  never  think  of  it, 
'cept  for  you." 

"  Now  you  do  think  of  it,  isn't  it  interesting  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  like  it.  Things  seem  to  mean  something, 
now  I  know  you.  Before,  well  —  'pears  like  I  didn't 
think  at  all;  I  just  slid  along  and  took  no  notice." 

"  But  it's  so  wonderful.  Everything  is  wonderful,  — 
even  the  way  the  months  have  gone.  Here  it  is  spring, 
the  bloodroot  lying  in  a  white  drift  along  the  brookside, 
and  the  yellow  lilies  opening  their  funny  tooth-shaped 
petals  everywhere  in  the  woods.  Yet  only  a  minute 
ago,  as  it  seems,  the  dead  leaves  were  falling,  and  I  was 
324 


A    PICNIC    IN    THE    GLEN.  32$ 

on  my  way  for  the  first  time  to  work  in  the  mill.  I 
belong  there  now,  a  part  of  it.  I  have  almost  forgotten 
how  it  used  to  be  when  I  was  so  idle." 

"  Seems  to  me  you  could  never  have  been  idle,  Amy. 
Anyway,  you've  got  on  splendid.  The  '  Supe '  says  he 
never  had  a  girl  go  ahead  so  fast.  Isn't  it  grand, 
though,  to  be  out  of  the  mill  this  lovely  day  ?  Satur- 
day-half means  ever  so  much  more  fun  now  than  it  used 
to  do,  and  doesn't  cost  half  so  much  money.  Don't 
worry  you  half  so  much  either,  as  it  did  to  go  shopping 
all  the  time.  Say,  Amy,  I've  about  got  Mis'  Hackett 
paid  up." 

"I'm  delighted;  it  must  be  wretched  to  feel  one's 
self  in  debt,  I  think." 

"  It's  mighty  nice  to  feel  one's  self  out  of  it.  I've 
got  you  to  thank  for  that,  too,  'long  of  lots  of  other 
things.  Isn't  the  club  doing  fine  ?  We  wouldn't  have 
had  that,  either,  but  for  you." 

"  Nonsense !  Indeed,  you  would.  Hallam  was  as 
interested  as  I  in  the  subject;  and  as  soon  as  we  told 
Uncle  Fred,  he  was  even  more  eager  than  we.  But  it 
is  to  father  we  all  owe  the  most,  I  think." 

"  So  do  I.  To  dream  of  a  splendid  gentleman  like 
him,  and  such  a  painter,  taking  so  much  time  and 
trouble  just  for  a  lot  of  mill  folks,  I  think  it's  grand. 
I  don't  understand  how  he  can." 

"  Seeing  that  his  own  two  children  are  '  mill  folks,' 
I  can,  readily,"  answered  Amy,  laughing.  "But, 


326  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

indeed,  I  know  he  would  go  on  with  it  now  just  as 
thoroughly,  even  if  we  were  not  in  the  case  at  all." 

This  talk  occurred  one  lovely  afternoon  when  the 
half-holiday  made  a  club  picnic  a  possible  and  most 
delightful  thing.  The  two  girls,  Gwendolyn  and  Amy, 
were  a  little  earlier  than  the  others,  and  were  on  their 
way  to  the  appointed  meeting  place,  "  Treasure  Island," 
a  small  piece  of  wooded  ground  rising  in  the  middle  of 
the  Ardsley's  widest  span.  From  the  island  to  the 
banks,  on  either  side,  were  foot-bridges,  and  in  the 
grove  tables  and  benches  had  been  built  by  the  lads 
of  the  organization.  It  was  an  ideal  picnic  ground, 
and  these  were  ideal  picnickers  ;  for  those  who  toil  the 
hardest  on  most  days  of  the  week  enter  most  heartily 
into  the  recreations  they  do  secure. 

The  girls  were  passing  down  into  the  glen  where 
Amy  had  once  lost  her  way  and  been  rescued  by 
Fayette.  It  seemed  so  long  ago  that  she  could  hardly 
realize  how  few  months  had  really  elapsed. 

She  spoke  of  the  matter  to  her  companion,  who 
seemed  to  be  in  a  reflective  mood  that  afternoon,  and 
who  again  remarked  upon  the  change  in  the  mill  boy, 
also. 

"  Your  uncle  and  Cleena  Keegan  have  made  him 
different,  too.  He's  as  proud  as  Punch  of  his  mush- 
room raising,  isn't  he  ?  He  owes  that  to  Mister  Fred  ; 
but,  odd  !  he's  as  scared  of  Cleena  as  if  she  owned 
him.  He  didn't  forgive  that  thing  about  Balaam,  and 


A   PICNIC    IN    THE    GLEN.  327 

seems  to  feel  he  has  a  right  to  him,  same's  Mr.  Metcalf 
has." 

"  Poor  old  Balaam,  he's  made  a  lot  of  trouble,  first 
and  last ;  but  I  guess  he's  all  right  now,  only  Cleena 
won't  let  Fayette  talk  of  him.  She  says  it's  '  punish- 
ment,'—  the  only  sort  she  can  inflict.  I  don't  under- 
stand why  she  wants  him  punished,  anyway." 

"  Maybe  for  stealing  him  that  Christmas  night  out 
of  Mr.  Wingate's  stable." 

"Possibly;  I  don't  know.  She's  like  a  mother  puss 
with  her  kitten.  One  minute  she  pets  him  to  foolish- 
ness, the  next  she  gives  him  a  mental  slap  that  reduces 
him  to  the  humblest,  most  timid  mood.  Well,  I'm  glad 
the  burro  business  is  settled,  though  it's  odd  how  Fay- 
ette covets  that  animal ;  and  the  exercise  of  going  up 
and  down  to  his  work,  the  days  he  has  to  go,  isn't  hurt- 
ing Hallam  at  all.  I  never  knew  him  to  be  so  well  and 
strong  as  he  seems  this  spring." 

"  Amy,  how  was  it  about  Balaam  ?  Ma  says  she 
never  heard  the  rights  of  it  yet.  And  say,  she  likes 
that  book  you  lent  her,  about  the  woman  went  round 
the  world  alone,  visiting  them  hospitals,  better  'n  any 
novel  she  ever  read.  She's  going  to  give  up  the  other 
story  papers  soon  as  the  subscription  runs  out  an'  take 
one  o'  them  library  tickets  you  were  telling  about,  or 
your  uncle,  where  they  send  the  books  to  you  by 
mail  and  you  can  have  your  choose  of  hundreds.  Say, 
wouldn't  it  be  prime  if  we  could  get  a  big  library  here  ? " 


328  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Grand !     We  will,  some  day,  too." 

"  My !  You  say  such  things  as  if  you  expected  them 
to  be.  How,  I'd  like  to  know?" 

"Well,  if  in  no  other  way,  by  just  us  mill  folks  band- 
ing together  and  making  a  beginning.  Indeed,  I  think 
my  father  would  give  his  own  little  library  as  a  start. 
There's  a  fine  one  at  Fairacres,  and  I'm  hoping  when 
Cousin  Archibald  comes  back  he'll  get  interested  in  our 
work  and  help  along." 

"  Might  as  well  look  for  miracles." 

"  I  do.  I'm  always  finding  them,  too.  There's  one 
at  your  very  feet.  Don't  tread  upon  it,  please." 

Stooping,  the  girl  pulled  Gwendolyn's  dress  away 
from  a  tiny  green  speck,  growing  in  dangerous  proximity 
to  the  wood  road. 

"  What's  it  ?  " 

"This  baby  fern." 

"  All  that  fuss  about  a  fern !  " 

"  It's  life,  it's  struggle.  See,  so  dainty,  so  fine,  yet 
so  plucky,  forcing  its  soft  frond  up  through  the  earth, 
among  all  these  bits  of  rocks;  never  stopping,  never 
fearing,  just  trusting  the  Creator  and  doing  its  duty. 
It  would  be  a  pity  to  end  it  so  soon." 

"Amy,  did  I  ever!  Well,  there  it  is  again.  I 
shall  never  be  able  to  crush  anything  like  that  without 
remembering  what  you've  said  just  now.  I  —  I  wish 
you  wouldn't.  It  makes  me  feel  sort  of  wicked.  And 
that's  silly,  just  for  a  fern." 


A    PICNIC    IN    THE    GLEN.  329 

"  Gvven,  anything  that  makes  us  more  merciful  can't 
be  silly.  Heigho  !  there  are  the  picnickers  all  coming 
along  the  banks  and  over  the  bridges.  Truly,  a  goodly 
company,  yet  we  began  with  just  you  and  Lionel,  Mary 
Reese,  Hallam,  and  me.  Now  there  are  a  hundred 
members,  old  and  young.  There's  one  of  the  everyday 
miracles  for  you  !  " 

The  vigorous  young  association  which  went  by  the 
name  of  the  "  Ardsley  Club  "  flourished  beyond  even 
Amy's  most  sanguine  expectation.  Three  rooms  of 
"  Charity  House,"  the  sunny  western  side  of  the  higher 
story,  had  been  cheerfully  offered  by  Mr.  Kaye  as  a 
home  for  the  club.  These  rooms  he  had  had  fitted  up 
under  his  own  supervision,  though  the  work  had  been 
done  by  the  members  themselves,  in  hours  after  mill 
duties  were  over.  The  color  mixer  had  supplied  the 
material  with  which  the  once  ugly  white  walls  were 
tinted ;  and  upon  the  soft-hued  groundwork  there  had 
been  stencilled  a  delicate  conventional  design.  At  one 
end  of  the  large  room  designated  the  "  reading  room  " 
a  scroll  bore  the  legend  which  old  Adam  Burns  had 
given  Amy  as  a  "rule  of  life"  :  "Simplicity,  Sincerity, 
Sympathy,"  and  opposite  gleamed  in  golden  letters  the 
other  maxim  :  "  Love  Conquers  All." 

"  Love,  Simplicity,  Sincerity,  and  Sympathy,  which 
is  the  synonym  of  Love,  and  forms  with  it  the  golden 
circle,"  was  adopted  as  one  of  the  by-laws,  and  it  is  true 
that  each  member  endeavored  to  keep  this  one  law 


33O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

inviolably.  The  result  was  a  spirit  of  peace  and  good- 
will rarely  found  in  a  gathering  of  so  many  varying 
natures.  It  had  been  Mr.  Kaye's  idea  to  make  the 
affair  one  of  no  expense  to  the  members,  outside  of  his 
own  household,  but  Frederic  promptly  vetoed  that. 

"In  the  first  place,  there  are  none  of  us  rich  enough 
to  do  such  a  thing.  There  will  be  lights,  firing,  musi- 
cal instruments,  books,  current  literature,  games  —  any 
number  of  things  that  cost  money.  Amy's  idea  is  fine. 
A  club  of  the  right  sort  will  be  a  powerful  factor  for 
good  in  this  community  of  mill  workers,  but  it  must  be 
made  self-supporting.  If  you  give  the  use  of  the  rooms 
and  will  act  as  instructor  along  some  lines,  —  art  and 
literature,  which  you  comprehend  better  than  finan- 
ciering, respected  brother,  —  you  will  have  done  your 
generous  share.  Amy  and  Cleena  will  keep  the  rooms 
in  order,  with  occasional  aid  from  the  girl  members  — 
after  we  secure  them.  A  small  sum,  contributed  by 
each  member,  will  run  the  whole  concern.  People  who 
are  as  constantly  employed  as  these  mill  operatives  have 
not  the  leisure  nor  means  to  acquire  a  book  education, 
but  a  more  intelligent,  wider-awake,  more  receptive 
class  is  not  to  be  found.  Yet  let  nobody  dare  to 
approach  them  with  anything  at  all  in  the  nature  of 
'  charity  '  or  mental  almsgiving.  Your  democrat  beats 
your  aristocrat  in  the  matter  of  pride  every  time,  and 
that  is  a  paradox  for  you  to  consider.  I  relinquish  the 
floor." 


A   PICNIC    IN    THE    GLEN.  331 

"  After  having  exhausted  the  subject,"  laughed  Hal- 
lam.  But  the  subject  had  not  been  exhausted.  Amy 
proposed  the  matter  the  very  next  day,  at  "  nooning," 
and  secured  the  members  as  mentioned  by  her  to 
Gwendolyn.  In  a  week  the  membership  had  doubled; 
and  as  soon  as  the  affair  was  really  comprehended,  that 
it  was  a  mutual  benefit  organization  in  the  highest  sense 
of  the  word,  applications  were  plentiful. 

Uncle  Frederic  had  been  a  literal  globe-trotter,  and 
his  journeyings  on  foot  made  him  able  to  discourse  in 
a  familiar  way  of  things  no  guide-book  ever  points  out. 
Nor  did  Cleena's  good  cookery  come  in  for  any  poor 
show  among  these  healthy,  happy  folk.  The  club  paid 
for  the  simple  refreshments  provided  at  their  weekly 
"socials,"  and  Cleena  prepared  them.  Even  this  day, 
for  their  out-of-door  reunion,  she  had  made  all  the  need- 
ful preparations,  and  had  been  so  busy  she  had  scarcely 
remembered  to  keep  a  close  watch  upon  Fayette. 

"  But  troth,  it's  no  more  nor  right  he  should  take  his 
bit  fun  with  the  rest,"  she  remarked  to  herself,  as  she 
pulled  the  last  tin  of  biscuits  from  the  chimney  oven 
and  spread  them  with  sweet  butter  and  daintily  sliced 
tongue.  "He's  aye  restless  betimes;  and  —  but  it's 
comin',  it's  comin',  me  blessed  gossoon  !  " 

But  to  whom  Cleena's  exclamation  referred  it  would 
have  been  difficult  to  say,  —  though  possibly  to  Fayette, 
as  her  next  words  seemed  to  indicate.  For  the  good 
creature  still  "conversed  with  Cleena  "  in  every  instance 


332  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

when  she  happened  to  be  left  alone,  it  being  a  necessity 
of  her  friendly  nature  that  she  should  talk  to  somebody. 

"  Me  gineral's  never  got  over  the  burro  business  yet, 
alanna !  An'  it  do  seem  hard  how  't  one  has  so  little 
an'  t'  other  so  much.  That  Mr.  '  Super '  Metcalf  now, 
as  fine  a  man  as  treads  shoe  leather,  never  a  doubt  I 
doubt,  yet  himself  judgin'  it  fair,  since  the  man  Win- 
gate  wanted  the  beast,  the  man  Wingate  should  have 
him.  Anyway,  there  he  stands,  brayin'  his  head  off  in 
the  '  Supe's  '  stable,  in  trust  for  the  old  man'll  never 
bestride  him.  Nobody  rides  him  at  all,  Miss  Amy  says; 
yet  here's  me  gineral  heart-broke  for  him ;  an'  the 
cripple  goin'  afoot ;  an'  all  them  little  Metcalfs  envyin' 
an'  covetin' ;  an'  all  because  a  man  who's  word  is  law 
said  he'd  take  him  for  rent  an'  just  kept  him,  whether 
or  no.  But  a  good  job  it  was  when  Mister  Fred  come 
home,  with  money  for  rent  an'  a  few  trifles,  but  not 
much  besides.  Well,  where's  the  need  ?  Eight  dollars 
a  week  is  Miss  Amy's  wage  now,  God  bless  her !  an' 
Master  Hal's  nigh  the  same,  —  let  alone  them  bit 
pictures  the  master's  be's  doin'  constant.  Mister  Fred's 
the  knack  o'  sellin'  'em  too.  Well,  if  the  mistress 
could  see  —  and  hark,  me  fathers  !  What's  that  ?  " 

Down  in  the  fragrant  glen  and  on  the  little  island  the 
hungry  "  Ardsleyites  "  waited  long  for  the  promised  sup- 
per ;  and  up  on  Bareacre  knoll  things  were  happening 
that  would  provide  another  sensation  for  the  little  town, 
quiet  now  since  the  Christmas  horsewhipping  episode. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

A    DOUBLE    INHERITANCE    IN    A    SINGLE    DAY. 

ALMOST  before  she  asked  it,  Cleena  answered  her 
own  question. 

"  The  powder !  the  powder !  It's  Fayetty  a-med- 
dlin' !  Oh,  is  he  killed,  the  witless  gossoon  ?  " 

Then  she  turned  toward  the  stairway  leading  into 
the  cellar,  and  from  whence  she  had  heard  the  dull 
roar,  and  now  imagined  she  saw  smoke  as  she  certainly 
did  smell  suggestive  fumes.  She  needed  not  to  descend, 
however,  for  at  the  stair's  head  the  lad  rushed  against 
her,  bruising  her  with  something  hard  and  heavy  that 
he  carried,  and  thus  dispelling  her  first  fear  of  his  per- 
sonal injury. 

"  Fayetty  —  Fayetty  !  Hold  by  !  What's  amiss  ? 
What's—" 

He  deposited  a  box  upon  the  kitchen  table,  plump  in 
the  tray  of  biscuits,  and  catching  Cleena  about  the  waist 
began  to  execute  a  grotesque  dance  with  her  for  help- 
less partner.  After  a  moment  she  was  able  to  extricate 
herself  from  his  frantic  clutch  and  to  demand  sternly :  — 

"  Ye  omahaun,  are  ye  gone  daft  ?  " 

"  It's  money,  Cleena  Keegan !  It's  money!  The  cel- 
333 


334  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

lar's  full  of  it !  Money,  money,  money !  Chests  full, 
cellars  full  — oh  !  oh!  oh!" 

Then  did  her  eye  fall  upon  the  box  and  the  spot 
where  it  rested,  and  indignation  seized  her  soul.  With 
one  grasp  of  her  strong  hands  she  flung  it  to  the  floor, 
where  it  fell  heavily,  cracked,  and  burst  asunder. 

Both  were  then  too  astonished  to  speak.  Fayette's 
wildest  dreams  had,  evidently,  come  true.  Cleena  could 
not  believe  her  eyes.  Never  in  all  her  life  had  she  seen 
so  many  precious  coins.  They  were  dimmed  by  age  and 
moisture,  yet,  unmistakably,  they  were  of  gold,  with  a 
few  that  might  be  silver.  All  the  fairy  tales  of  her 
beloved  Ireland  rushed  through  her  mind,  and  she 
regarded  the  half-wit  with  a  new  veneration. 

"  Sure,  you're  one  o'  them  elf -men,  I  believe ;  that 
different  from  ordinary  you  can  even  make  dollars  o' 
doughnuts.  Arrah  musha,  'twas  a  smart  decent  day 
when  Miss  Amy  fetched  you  home  to  Fairacres ! 
Sent,  was  ye,  to  make  the  old  family  rich ;  and  the 
marvel  o'  cure  in  your  long,  lean  hands.  Troth,  I'm 
struck  all  of  a  heap." 

But  Fayette  was  not  He  had  never  been  so  active. 
He  began  to  gather  up  the  coins  which  had  been  scat- 
tered by  the  breaking  of  the  chest  and,  for  want  of  some- 
thing better  in  which  to  store  them,  pulled  Cleena's 
apron  from  her  waist  and  piled  them  in  that.  She  sat 
on,  silently  regarding  him.  For  a  few  minutes  she 
honestly  believed  that  he  was  a  genuine  specimen  of 


"HE  BEGAN  TO  GATHER  UP  THE  COINS.' 


A    DOUBLE    INHERITANCE    IN   A    SINGLE    DAY.         335 

the  "  little  people  "  who  were  said  to  make  green  Erin 
their  favorite  home.  But  when  he  began  to  gabble  in 
a  hoarse,  excited  tone  of  how  he  had  long  been  expect- 
ing this  "  find  "  ;  how  he  had  watched  his  opportunity 
when  all  the  household  should  be  absent  that  he  might 
disobey  and  use  the  explosive  that  would  lessen  his 
labor  so  greatly,  she  came  back  to  common  sense. 

"  So  you've  been  lookin'  for  it,  have  ye  ?  Well,  now 
you've  got  it,  but  ye  might  ha'  been  killed  in  the  job. 
What  for  no  ?  With  Mister  Fred  gone  to  town  an'  him 
tellin'  ye  most  explicit  ye  should  no  touch  nor  meddle 
at  all.  Was  aught  like  this  found  in  either  of  them 
mushroom  ones  ?  " 

"I  —  don't — know,"  answered  Fayette,  slowly,  still 
stooping  and  tying  his  bundle.  "If  there  was — that 
man's — got  it.  It  was  mine.  I  begun  the  digging.  I  — 

"An'  he  finished,  eh?  Well,  you  take  up  your  pack 
an'  put  it  here  in  my  dresser.  Then  go  wash  your  face. 
Such  a  sight!  Hold,  did  ye  any  more  harm  there 
below  ?  " 

"  Harm !  harm  !  to  dig  such  a  treasure  as  this  out 
of  my  mine  ?  Well,  if  I  used  only  a  little  bit  of  powder 
and  got  so  much,  what  a  lot  I  might  have  found  if  I'd 
used  more.  I'll  bet  the  whole  ground  is  full." 

"  Oh,  ye  silly !  Put  that  stuff  down.  It's  makin'  ye 
lose  what  little  sense  you've  got  An',  me  neighbor, 
look  here.  See  them  beautiful  biscuits  all  spoiled  the 
day,  the  day  !  " 


336  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

This  reminded  the  lad  that  he  was  hungry.  He  had 
been  hard  at  work  all  day  in  the  underground  passage, 
the  third  and  last  of  those  he  had  set  out  to  make  beneath 
"  Charity  House."  The  first  two  had  been  completed 
the  walls  shored,  the  rich  beds  for  mushroom-raising 
made  upon  the  dark  damp  floors.  Already  these  beds 
were  dotted  with  the  white  growths,  that  in  a  marvellous 
short  time  would  be  full-grown  mushrooms  and  finding 
a  place  upon  many  an  epicure's  table. 

That  very  hour,  even,  Frederic  Kaye  was  in  the  city 
negotiating  for  their  regular  sale  at  profitable  prices; 
and  wondering  not  a  little,  it  may  be,  at  the  strange 
fact  that  "  Spite  House,"  instead  of  being  the  barren,  un- 
productive spot  at  first  supposed,  would  prove  instead 
a  veritable  mine  of  support  to  the  whole  household.  Of 
that  other  "  mining,"  with  its  anticipated  results  in  gold 
of  which  Fayette  had  sometimes  babbled,  Mr.  Kaye 
took  no  account.  Old  Jacob  Ingraham  who  built  the 
house  had  been  a  hard,  close-fisted  man,  if  all  accounts 
were  true,  and  not  at  all  likely  to  deposit  his  money  in 
the  ground,  when  there  were  investments  which  would 
help  to  increase  it.  But  of  old  Jacob's  wife,  history 
said  little,  and  Frederic  never  thought. 

Fayette  placed  the  apron  in  the  cupboard,  as  he  had 
been  bidden,  and  when  he  would  have  added  the 
broken  box  also,  Cleena  prevented. 

"Oh,  ye  dirty  boy!  That  —  that  mouldy,  muddy, 
nasty  thing !  No,  no !  No,  no ! "  and  she  tossed  it 


A    DOUBLE    INHERITANCE    IN    A    SINGLE    DAY.        337 

unceremoniously  into  the  box  of  kindling-wood.  In  the 
roomy  "  Dutch  "  oven  in  the  wall  she  had  baked  many  of 
her  picnic  biscuits,  and  she  regarded  the  ruin  Fayette  had 
wrought  among  her  sandwiches  with  an  air  absurdly  sad. 

Now  he  had  no  scruples  against  a  bit  of  dirt,  and  had 
already  crammed  his  mouth  full  of  the  broken  food, 
when  Cleena  looked  round  and  saw  him.  His  mouth 
was  distended  with  laughter  as  well  as  bread,  and  this 
provoked  her  still  further.  Sweeping  her  long  arm 
over  the  table,  she  brushed  all  the  sandwiches  into  a 
big  pan  that  stood  conveniently  near,  and  remarked 
grimly :  — 

"  Not  another  bite  o'  better  food  do  you  get  till  them's 
all  ate." 

"  All  right.  I  like  'em.  But  what's  the  picnickers 
goin'  to  do  ?  " 

"  The  best  they  can.  An'  you're  to  help.  Go  wash 
your  hands." 

"  I  have." 

"  Again,  once  more  ;  then  show  'em  to  me." 

The  lad  laughingly  obeyed.     Then  demanded  :  — 

"  What  for  ? " 

Cleena  replied  by  action  rather  than  word.  She  tied 
a  fresh  gingham  apron  about  his  shoulders  and  brought 
the  strings  around  in  front  so  that  his  mud-stained 
clothing  was  entirely  covered.  Then  she  led  him  to 
her  kneading-table  and  set  a  bucket  of  sifted  flour 
before  him. 


338  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Make  biscuit." 

"  How  many  ?  " 

"  Three  hundred.     Fall  to,  measure,  I'll  count" 

She  did.  For  two  whole  hours  the  pair  labored  in 
that  kitchen,  Fayette  kneading,  cutting  out,  slipping 
the  pans  into  the  ovens  and  removing  them ;  while 
Cleena  spread  and  cut  tongue  after  tongue,  till  even 
more  than  the  original  supply  had  been  reproduced. 
Then  she  paused  and  looked  up. 

There  stood  Teamster  John  in  the  doorway,  smiling  and 
watching  Fayette's  new  occupation  with  genuine  surprise. 

"  Shucks  !  makin'  a  cook  out  of  him  ?  Ain't  ye  rather 
late  with  your  luncheon  ?  I  drove  up  to  carry  the 
baskets  down  to  the  'Island.'" 

"Humph!  Ready  they  was,  fast  enough.  But  — 
man,  look  here,"  and  she  opened  the  cupboard  door  to 
draw  forth  the  apron  of  gold. 

"  No,  you  shan't !  He  shan't  touch  it !  It's  mine  — 
it's  mine  !  "  cried  Fayette,  and  snatched  the  bundle  from 
her  hands.  He  had  not  tied  it  securely,  and  again  the 
long-buried  coins  rolled  into  the  sunlight  and  spread 
themselves  over  the  floor. 

"  To  the  —  land's  —  sake !  " 

"They're  mine  —  they're  all  mine  —  every  single 
one.  I  found  'em.  I  blasted  'em  out.  Nobody  shall 
touch  them —  nobody  !  " 

"  You  —  blasted  them  —  out  ?  From  the  cellar  of 
this  house  ?  You  —  simpleton  !  " 


A    DOUBLE    INHERITANCE    IN    A    SINGLE    DAY.         339 

"  Like  to  ha'  done  it  yourself,  hey  ? " 

"  No  ;  but  I'm  sorrier  than  I  can  tell  that  ever  you 
were  let  to  fool  with  powder.  How'd  Mister  Frederic 
allow  it  ?  " 

Cleena  answered  promptly,  "  He  didn't.  He  strict 
forbid  it.  Yes,  I  know,  I  know.  It  was  a  chance.  If 
me  guardian  angel  hadn't  been  nigh,  you  might  never 
ha'  seen  old  Cleena  again.  Arrah  musha,  but  I'm  that 
shook  up  I'd  know!  What  say?  Is  it  time  yet  for 
their  supper  down  yon,  or  what  ? " 

"  It'll  be  a  little  late,  maybe,  but  never  mind.  My, 
my  !  Chests  o'  gold  !  Who'd  believe  it  ?  Like  a  story 
book,  now,  ain't  it  ?  And  where,  in  the  name  of  common 
sense,  did  you  get  all  this  flour  and  meat  an'  fixings, 
Cleena,  woman  ? " 

"  Mister  Fred.  The  last  day  he  went  to  town.  He 
was  to  buy  enough  for  one  picnic,  so  he  brought  home 
enough  for  two.  That's  ever  his  way.  He's  the  good 
provider,  is  Mister  Fred.  Bless  him  !  " 

"  Exactly.  Well,  I'll  tell  you,  it  is  late,  so  I'll 
just  drive  down  to  tell  the  youngsters  they'd  better  come 
up  here  and  eat  their  supper.  They'll  be  crazy  wild  for 
a  sight  of  that  chest  and  what  was  in  it ;  and  if  they 
don't  come  to-day,  they'll  be  besieging  you  all  day  to- 
morrow. When  a  thing  like  this  happens,  it  belongs  to 
the  town." 

"Don't  neither;  belongs  to  me.  I  found  it.  I'll 
keep  it.  I  dare  ye  !  " 


34O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  All  right,  lad.  Don't  worry.  I  wouldn't  touch  it 
with  a  ten-foot  pole.  I've  heard  of  such  things  afore 
now,  and  never  once  that  they  didn't  bring  trouble. 
All  I'm  thankful  for  is  you  didn't  kill  anybody  nor 
smash  up  the  house  with  your  fool  blastin'.  You  won't 
get  another  chance  to  try,  if  I  have  to  come  right  here 
and  stay  myself ; "  and  he  smiled  sweetly  toward 
Cleena,  who  ignored  the  smile,  but  agreed  with  the 
suggestion. 

"Yes;  that's  right.  That's  sense.  What  for  no? 
Troth,  to-morrow's  a  Sunday,  an'  not  to  be  disturbed  o' 
none  such  havers.  What's  a  bit  of  old  dollars  dug  out 
o'  the  mud  ?  An'  Monday's  me  wash.  Faith,  it's  sense 
in  small  matters  ye're  havin',  Teamster  John.  Drive 
yon  an'  make  haste  back.  I'll  spread  me  a  cloth  on  the 
grass  an'  each  may  eat  like  a  heathen,  does  he  like,  that 
same  as  he  was  down  in  the  woods." 

"  But  they  shan't  touch  it  —  they  shan't  even  see  it ! 
It's  mine.  I'll  keep  it,  understand  ?  " 

Cleena  understood  not  only  the  words,  but  the  lad 
with  whom  she  had  to  deal. 

"Whist,  alanna,  would  you  hide  yourself,  then? 
Faith,  no ;  run  avick.  Put  on  your  Sunday  suit, 
brush  yer  hair,  make  yerself  tidy,  then  stand  up  like 
a  showman  at  Donnybrook  fair,  an'  pass  the  time  o' 
day  with  who  comes.  What  for  no  ?  The  box  an*  the 
gold  must  be  showed.  Such  a  thing  can't  be  hid. 
Well,  then,  gossoon,  just  show  it  yerself." 


A    DOUBLE    INHERITANCE    IN    A    SINGLE    DAY.         34! 

So  when,  not  long  after,  the  whole  band  of  merry- 
makers came  trooping  over  the  knoll  of  Bareacre,  they 
found  not  only  their  belated  supper  spread  for  them, 
but  a  sight  to  amuse  their  curiosity  in  the  buried  treas- 
ure, estimated  at  various  sums  by  the  excited  behold- 
ers, and  with  an  ever  increasing  value  as  the  story 
passed  from  mouth  to  mouth. 

"  It  will  belong  to  '  Bony,'  of  course." 
"  No  ;  to  the  Kayes.     He  doesn't  own  the  house." 
"  Nor  they.     If  they  did,  they  wouldn't  take  it  from 
him.     They're  not  that  sort  of  folks." 
"  But  they're  as  poor  as  anybody  now." 
"  Archibald  Wingate  owns   the  property.     I  should 
think  it  belonged  to  him." 

"  The  '  Supe '  will  probably  take  it  in  charge." 
So  the  talk  bandied  back  and  forth  till  poor  Fayette's 
weak  brain  was  in  a  whirl;  and  amid  it  all  there  was 
one  name  that  fell  upon  his  hearing  with  a  sense  of 
pain,  —  "Archibald  Wingate."  The  man  he  hated. 
Well,  of  one  thing  he  was  resolved  —  this  unearthed 
treasure  might  be  the  mill  owner's,  but  if  it  were,  he 
should  never,  never  touch  it. 

Poor  Fayette !  So  he  still  stood  and  proudly  exhib- 
ited the  wonder,  and  told  over  and  again  exactly  how 
he  had  long  suspected  its  existence,  and  had  watched 
his  opportunity,  with  this  result.  Since  he  was  happy 
and  watchful,  Cleena  felt  he  was  secure  —  for  the  pres- 
ent. But  all  the  time  she  longed  for  Mr.  Frederic's 


342  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

return,  or  even  for  that  of  Mr.  Kaye,  who  was  abroad 
upon  a  sketching  ramble.  There  should  be  somebody 
in  authority  present,  since  Hallam  and  Amy  were  both 
too  young,  and  Teamster  John  —  well,  he  might  "do  at 
a  pinch."  In  any  case,  he  must  remain  on  guard  till  a 
better  man  appeared. 

This  better  man  did  arrive,  just  as  the  evening  fell,  in 
the  person  of  Uncle  Fred,  riding  up  the  driveway  in  old 
Israel  Boggs's  farm  wagon.  Amy  was  first  to  discover 
their  approach  and  ran  gayly  to  meet  them,  beginning 
her  tale  of  the  afternoon's  adventure  with  her  very  salu- 
tation;  but  long  before  she  reached  the  side  of  the 
wagon  she  saw  that  something  was  amiss  with  her  jolly 
uncle.  His  face  was  very  grave,  and  even  his  voice  was 
hushed,  so  that  though  his  greeting  to  his  niece  was 
even  kinder  than  usual,  it  startled  her  by  its  solem- 
nity. 

"  Why,  Uncle  Fred,  what  is  the  matter  ?  What  has 
happened  ? " 

"  I'll  tell  you  presently.  But  how  come  so  many 
here  ?  I  thought  the  picnic  was  at  'Treasure  Island.'  " 

She  nodded  cheerfully  to  Israel,  whose  face  was  even 
more  sad  than  Frederic  Kaye's,  and  gave  a  rapid  his- 
tory of  events.  Strangely  enough,  neither  of  the  two 
newcomers  appeared  much  interested.  It  was  as  if 
some  greater  matter  absorbed  them,  and  their  manner 
subdued  Amy  to  silence ;  while  the  farmer  tied  old 
Fanny,  and  then  followed  his  friend  into  the  front  part 


A    DOUBLE    INHERITANCE    IN    A    SINGLE    DAY.         343 

of  the  house,  quite  away  from  the  excited  groups  sur- 
rounding Fayette  and  his  wonderful  exhibit. 

Once  inside  the  shelter  of  the  passage,  Mr.  Frederic 
laid  his  hand  upon  Amy's  shoulder,  and  said,  very 
gently  :  — 

"  Prepare  for  a  great  sorrow,  Amy  dear.  I  have 
just  come  from  the  death-bed  of  our  good  friend,  Adam 
Burn." 

Never  till  that  moment  had  the  girl  known  how  well 
she  loved  the  saintly  old  man.  Rarely  meeting,  he  had 
still  exercised  over  her  young  life  one  of  its  most 
powerful  influences,  and  an  influence  all  for  good. 

"  Oh,  Uncle  Fred,  it  can't  be.  It  mustn't  be.  He 
was  so  good,  so  kind,  so  — 

"  Altogether  lovely.  Yes,  dear,  all  that.  Old  Israel, 
here,  needs  comfort.  Talk  to  him  a  little." 

So  she  led  the  heart-broken  Israel  into  the  farthest 
room,  and  sitting  down  beside  him  persuaded  him  to 
speak  with  her  of  the  one  that  had  passed  on,  and  in 
the  act  to  find  relief.  Then  she  slipped  away  a  moment 
and,  found  Hallam,  who,  when  he  had  heard  this  later 
news,  quietly  dismissed  the  club  and  brought  the  happy 
holiday  to  a  reverent  close. 

"  Land !  that  makes  all  such  ilk,"  said  Teamster 
John,  pointing  to  Fayette's  glittering  heap,  "to  seem 
of  small  account.  What's  a  litter  of  gold  alongside  of 
such  as  him  ? " 

And  not  one  among  them  all  who  had  ever  known 


344  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Adam  Burn  found  anything  now  worth  discussing  save 
the  goodness  and  simplicity  of  their  dead  neighbor  and 
friend. 

But  late  that  night,  after  Israel  had  gone  back  to  the 
desolate  Clove,  to  make  such  arrangements  for  the  old 
man's  burial  as  his  friends  at  "  Charity  House "  had 
deemed  fitting,  Uncle  Frederic  remarked,  casually :  — 

"  By  the  way,  Amy,  Mrs.  Burn  ('  Sarah  Jane/  you 
know)  told  me  a  bit  of  news,  to  the  effect  that  you  are 
the  old  man's  heiress,  because  of  your  name  that  was 
his  wife's.  She  says  he  gave  you  a  sealed  letter  before 
he  left  Ardsley,  which  letter  explained  everything, — 
where  the  will  was  to  be  found,  and  the  few  directions 
necessary  for  the  settlement  of  the  estate.  Your  father 
and  I  are  trustees,  she  thinks,  until  you  come  of  age, 
but  you  are  the  heir.  Good  night." 

"  No,  no,  uncle,  I  don't  want  to  be  !  I  want  nothing 
that  is  gained  by  his  death.  And  —  I  lost  that  letter, 
anyway." 

"  Lost  it  ?  That's  serious.  However,  it  can  doubt- 
less be  arranged.  Good  night." 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

ONE   WONDERFUL    AUTUMN   DAY. 

THE  months  flew  by.  The  summer  came  and  went. 
It  was  the  hour  for  closing  on  a  "  Saturday-half," 
a  whole  year  since  Amy  Kaye  first  visited  the  mills  of 
Ardsley,  and  now  she  felt  as  they  were  a  part  of  her 
very  life.  Beginning  at  the  bottom  she  had  industri- 
ously worked  her  way  upward  till  she  had  just  been 
promoted  to  the  pleasant  and  well-paying  task  of 
"  setter,"  in  the  big  clean  room,  where  the  open  win- 
dows admitted  the  soft  air  of  another  Indian  summer. 

Away,  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  long  apartment, 
was  a  sunshiny  office,  lately  constructed  for  the  personal 
use  of  Archibald  Wingate.  This  office  was  partitioned 
from  the  setting  room  by  a  glass  sliding  door,  and 
through  this,  as  Amy  now  lifted  her  eyes,  she  could 
see  the  broad  back  of  her  relative  bending  above  a  desk 
full  of  correspondence. 

At  every  setting  frame  there  are  two  operators,  for 
left  hand  and  for  right ;  and  it  was  Amy's  good  fortune 
to  have  Mary  Reese  for  her  comrade,  and  a  more  sun- 
shiny pair  of  workers  could  be  found  nowhere. 

For  Hallam,  also,  it  had  been  a  busy,  happy  year. 
345 


346  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

Like  Amy,  having  begun  with  the  humblest  task  and 
smallest  wage,  he  had  now  advanced  to  be  bookkeeper 
in  one  department,  while  he  still  retained  his  work  of 
coloring  and  preparing  the  patterns  for  use  in  the  weav- 
ing of  the  famous  Ardsley  carpets.  He  looked  a  far 
stronger,  healthier  lad  than  of  old,  and  his  disposition 
to  think  upon  the  dark  side  of  things  had  now  no  time 
to  develop,  for  activity  effectually  prevents  brooding. 

Fayette  was  still  a  member  of  the  Kaye  household, 
and  seemed  to  belong  there  as  much  as  any  of  the 
others.  He  had  been  busy,  too,  all  the  year  through, 
with  his  mushroom-raising,  his  gardening,  and  now  that 
the  autumn  had  come  round  again,  with  odd  jobs  at  the 
mill.  His  deftness  would  always  procure  him  employ- 
ment of  some  sort,  yet  only  that  morning  Mr.  Metcalf 
had  remarked  to  Hallam,  confidentially  :  — 

"  Queer,  but  I  can  never  trust  '  Bony.'  He  seems  as 
honest  and  reliable  as  possible  for  a  time,  and  then,  sud- 
denly, he  will  do  something  to  disappoint  me.  I  don't 
like  his  demeanor  toward  the  '  boss.'  Ever  since  Mr. 
Wingate  returned,  late  this  summer,  and  took  to  com- 
ing here  every  day,  '  Bony '  has  come  too.  Have  you 
noticed  ? " 

"  I  know  he  comes.  I  hadn't  connected  the  two  com- 
ings, however.  I  guess  he's  all  right.  There's  a  splen- 
did side  to  that  poor  lad's  nature,  if  you  but  knew  it. 
Some  day,  I  hope  before  very  long  now,  he  and  I  are  to 
surprise  the  world." 


ONE    WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  347 

"Why,  Hal,  you're  as  gay  as  a  blackbird.  What's 
the  surprise,  eh  ?  Too  precious  to  disclose  even  to  me?" 

"At  present,  yes.  In  a  little  while,  a  few  days  — 
Heigho !  "  and  the  lad  looked  significantly  toward  his 
crutches,  leaning  against  the  desk  where  he  wrote. 

But  the  superintendent  did  not  observe  the  glance. 
His  mind  was  full  of  misgiving.  Within  a  day  or  two 
he  had  had  occasion  to  suspect  that  the  half-wit  had  some 
uncanny  scheme  on  hand.  The  lad's  dislike  of  the  old 
mill  owner  appeared  to  grow  with  the  passage  of  time. 
The  dull  brain  never  forgot  an  injury,  and  it  always 
seemed  to  Fayette  that  Mr.  Wingate  had  wronged  him. 
From  the  old  days  of  his  "bound  out"  life  on  the  farm, 
when  whippings  and  punishments  were  of  almost  daily 
occurrence,  to  the  present,  there  had  been  no  diminution 
in  the  mill  boy's  resentment.  Now  there  was  this  later 
injury,  or  injustice,  as  he  believed,  about  the  money 
found  in  the  cellar  of  "  Charity  House." 

The  facts  were  these :  the  glittering  coins  had,  when 
estimated,  been  of  about  one  thousand  dollars'  value. 
To  Fayette  this  seemed  an  enormous  sum;  to  Mr. 
Wingate,  a  trifle.  In  the  chest  with  the  treasure  had 
been  also  a  time-yellowed  letter,  or  memorandum,  signed 
by  the  wife  of  Jacob  Ingraham,  and  decreeing  that  the 
property  thus  hidden  had  been  placed  by  her  own 
hands  in  the  wall  of  the  cellar  of  "Spite  House"  for 
the  "  benefit  of  my  nearest  of  kin." 

The  document,  in  itself,  was  as  curious  as  its  hiding- 


348  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

place,  and  proved  that  the  ancient  dame  had  been  a 
keen  observer  of  men's  failings,  if  not  their  virtues. 

"  For  I  have  seen,  in  this,  my  lifetime,  that  gold  prof- 
its a  man  nothing.  It  is  ever  a  bone  of  contention,  and 
he  who  has  it  is  poorer  than  he  who  has  it  not.  I  hope 
this  chest  will  do  him  good  who  finds  it ;  and  if  it  is 
never  found,  then  the  earth  will  be  so  much  the  richer 
by  this  small  portion  of  the  wealth  it  has  lost.  In  any 
case,  to  prevent  evil,  and,  if  possible,  to  secure  a  bless- 
ing, I  have  said  one  prayer  over  each  coin  herein  dis- 
posed, and  so,  in  duty  to  my  conscience,  I  lock  the  box 
and  throw  the  key  down  the  old  well  of  this  Bareacre 
knoll." 

The  letter  had  further  added  that  nobody,  not  even 
Jacob  Ingraham,  had  known  of  this  bestowal  of  the 
chest,  because  had  anybody,  "  most  of  all,  he,"  so  known, 
it  would  have  been  excavated  and  its  contents  scattered. 

Now  Archibald  Wingate  was,  on  his  mother's  side, 
the  last  direct  descendant  of  Mrs.  Ingraham,  and  the 
property  was  clearly  his.  To  him,  as  soon  as  he  re- 
turned from  his  prolonged  stay  out  of  town,  the  broken 
chest  and  intact  contents  had  been  given  by  the  super- 
intendent, who,  Mr.  Kaye  promptly  decided,  would  be 
the  proper  guardian  of  the  treasure  until  his  employer 
returned. 

There  had  been  a  terrible  scene  with  Fayette  when 
Cleena  told  him  this  decision,  and  for  several  days 
thereafter  the  lad  had  not  been  visible.  Some  thought 


ONE    WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  349 

he  had  gone  off  in  one  of  his  wanderings  through  the 
woods  and  fields ;  but  the  truth  was,  he  had  been  kept 
under  lock  and  key  by  the  energetic  and  masterful 
Cleena  Keegan.  She  had  assured  that  patient  listener, 
herself,  that :  — 

"  Sure,  it  do  be  right.  Will  I  lose  all  the  good  we 
have  gained  for  the  sake  o'  bad  temper  ?  The  end's  in 
sight,  —  the  blessed  end  o'  the  secrecy,  an'  the  weary 
struggle  o'  keepin'  me  gineral's  nose  to  the  grindstone, 
and  now  to  leave  go  ?  Not  while  Cleena  Keegan  draws 
a  free  breath,  an'  can  handle  a  silly  gossoon,  like  him 
yon." 

From  the  first  it  had  been  a  strange  and  powerful 
influence  that  this  good  woman  exercised  over  the 
foundling  she  adopted,  and  fortunately  his  imprison- 
ment was  not  so  very  long,  else  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  conceal  it  from  the  rest  of  the  household ; 
not  one  of  whom  did,  however,  suspect  such  a  pro- 
ceeding. 

When  the  object  for  which  she  had  restrained  him  of 
his  liberty  seemed  quite  gained,  Cleena  let  Fayette  go ; 
and,  oddly  enough,  after  his  liberty  was  granted  him,  he 
no  longer  cared  for  it.  He  kept  close  to  Bareacres, 
bare  no  longer,  but  teeming  with  the  rich  vegetation 
resulting  from  his  own  labor,  guided  by  Frederic  Kaye's 
trained  judgment.  The  summer  had  proved  a  most 
interesting  as  well  as  busy  one  to  both  these  gardeners. 
The  results  of  their  mutual  labor  were  harvested  and 


35O  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

stored  for  the  family's  winter  use,  and  Fayette  had 
returned  to  the  mill.  Idleness,  or  the  want  of  that 
regular  employment  he  had  enjoyed,  now  reawoke  the 
dark  thoughts  which  had  disturbed  his  clouded  brain 
during  the  time  of  his  "  retreat "  under  Cleena's  com- 
pelling will. 

This  day,  when  Amy  watched  her  cousin  through  the 
glass  partition,  and  waited  with  Mary  for  Hallam  to 
complete  his  own  task  in  a  room  adjoining  the  private 
office  of  Mr.  Wingate,  Fayette  was  hanging  about  the 
mill,  as  if  himself  waiting  for  some  one. 

Amy  called  to  him  once,  and  received  a  surly 
answer :  — 

"  I'll  go  when  I  get  ready.  I  ain't  hurting  nobody 
-yet." 

"Of  course  not,  who'd  suppose  so?  I'd  think  you'd 
like  a  run  in  the  woods  after  hours.  There  was  a  frost  a 
few  nights  ago.  There  may  be  hickory  nuts  to  gather." 

"  Gather  'em,  then,  if  you  want  'em.  I  don't.  I've 
got  other  fish  to  fry.  I'll  fry  'em,  too." 

"  Well,  you're  cross,  '  Fayetty,  me  gineral.'  I'll  not 
wait  much  longer,  even  for  Hal.  You  can  come  home 
with  him,  and  help  him  bring  the  patterns  he  is  to  show 
father,  please." 

"  I  thought  you  wanted  to  see  Mr.  Wingate,  too, 
Amy,"  observed  Mary,  "about  that  legacy  of  yours. 
You're  the  queerest  girl.  Any  other  would  be  wild  to 
have  things  fixed,  but  you  don't  seem  to  care  a  bit." 


ONE   WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  351 

"  Why  should  I  ?  We  are  very  comfortable  at 
'Charity  House.'  Mrs.  Burn,  dear  Adam's  daughter- 
in-law,  has  gone  abroad  again.  If  she  had  time,  she'd 
cheerfully  help  us  —  if  she  could.  We  think  the  letter 
of  instruction  will  sometime  be  found,  and  that  will 
make  all  clear.  We  don't  like  law,  and  Adam  would 
have  hated  it.  No ;  we'll  wait  for  a  time  longer,  but 
I  promised  father  I'd  consult  Cousin  Archibald,  and  see 
when  he  would  meet  either  father  or  Uncle  Fred  to 
discuss  it. 

"  Meanwhile,  old  Israel  and  his  wife  are  doing  just 
the  same  at  Burnside  as  if  their  master  were  still  there. 
All  I  could  think  of  taking  the  property  for,  it  seems 
to  me,  would  be  to  give  my  father  such  a  lovely  home 
again." 

"Well,  Amy,  I  must  go.  I  want  to  finish  reading 
that  book  Mr.  Kaye  lent  me,  this  afternoon.  I'll  see 
you  at  the  club  to-night.  Good-by." 

With  a  kiss  and  a  hand  pressure,  which  revealed  the 
depth  of  their  friendship,  Mary  departed,  and  Amy 
turned  to  the  open  window  to  watch  the  cloud  shadows 
drift  over  the  lovely  valley,  wherein  the  Ardsley  leaped 
and  sparkled.  As  she  gazed,  thinking  of  many  things, 
she  became  conscious,  in  an  idle  sort  of  fashion,  that 
Fayette  had  passed  out  of  doors,  and  was  walking  close 
beneath,  or  along  the  building's  wall,  and  in  a  stealthy 
manner,  suspicious  in  itself. 

"  Heigho !     What  now,  I  wonder.     He's  up  to  some 


352  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

mischief,  I'm  afraid.  How  queer  he  is  at  times.  Why, 
even  when  he  was  told  that  Mr.  Wingate  knew  him  for 
the  person  who  horsewhipped  him  last  Christmas  and 
had  refused  to  take  any  notice  of  it,  except  to  thank 
Uncle  Fred  for  his  rescue  —  even  then  Fayette  would 
not  say  that  he  thought  my  cousin  good.  All  he  did 
say  was  :  '  Well,  he  better  not.  He  knows  too  much. 
If  he  locked  me  up  or  had  me  fined,  I'd  lick  him  again 
soon's  I  got  out.  He  ain't  no  fool.  But  that  don't 
make  me  feel  any  different.  He  ain't  jailed  me,  but 
he's  got  my  money.  Mine ;  I  dug  it  out  the  cellar  an' 
blasted,  to  the  risk  o'  my  life.  He  keeps  it,  when  he's 
got  a  bank  full,  they  say.  Kept  Balaam,  too,  or  give 
him  to  one  of  them  Metcalf  youngsters.  Well,  his  time'll 
come.  I'm  not  forgettin',  if  I  do  keep  my  mouth  shut 
for  a  spell.' " 

Recalling  this  speech,  Amy  tried  to  put  herself  in  the 
half-wit's  place,  which  effort  made  her  pity  him  the 
more,  yet  watch  his  present  manoeuvres  none  the  less 
closely.  But  presently  he  disappeared  in  a  distant 
lower  doorway,  and  she  forgot  him  and  returned  to 
her  happy  day-dreams. 

Fayette  had  bided  his  time.  On  such  an  afternoon, 
at  such  an  hour,  he  judged  that  nobody  would  be  in  the 
mill  building  save  the  distant  watchman  and  that  inde- 
fatigable toiler,  Archibald  Wingate,  with  whom  was  the 
half-wit's  present  business.  He  had  seen  the  last  whisk 
of  Mary's  blue  skirt  disappearing  above  the  bank-stair- 


ONE    WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  353 

way,  and,  knowing  that  Amy  and  she  were  waiting  for 
Hallam,  concluded  that  the  trio  had  departed  together. 

So  he  entered  the  little  basement  door  gleefully.  All 
seemed  propitious,  yet  he  meant  once  more  and  care- 
fully to  examine  the  preparations  he  had  made,  to  see 
if  there  was  any  flaw  anywhere.  He  was  so  absorbed, 
so  excited,  that  he  scarcely  breathed  as  he  crept  slowly 
along  the  inside  of  the  wall,  just  as  a  moment  before 
he  had  passed  along  its  outer  surface.  At  one  spot  he 
paused  and  tried  a  simple-looking  tube  that  had  been 
brought  from  the  outside,  through  a  convenient  aper- 
ture, into  the  inside  of  the  building.  The  thing  looked 
harmless,  yet  it  ran  along  the  groove  where  the  floor 
and  wall  joined,  clear  into  that  cheery  inner  office, 
where  Archibald  Wingate  sat  that  very  moment,  sign- 
ing his  name  to  one  of  the  most  generous  letters  of  his 
life. 

"  There,"  he  reflected,  as  he  leaned  back  in  his  chair 
and  tossed  aside  his  pen  ;  "  there,  that  is  foolish  enough 
to  satisfy  even  my  impractical  small  kinswoman,  bless 
her!  A  thousand  dollars  isn't  much,  but  it's  —  a  thou- 
sand dollars  ;  and  when  I  double  it  by  another  thousand, 
which  has  never  been  buried  by  any  ancient  ancestress, 
it  makes  a  tidy  sum  for  a  foundling  lad.  Poor  '  Bony,' 
he  hates  me  like  poison.  I  wonder,  when  he  finds  out 
that  I've  done  this  for  him,  when  I  place  it  in  his  hands 
myself,  and  tell  him,  furthermore,  that  I  have  asked 
Fred  Kaye  to  send  west  for  several  more  of  those 


354  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

burros  he's  given  us  a  sample  of,  and  that  one  is  for 
the  '  Rep-Dem-Prob  '  himself  —  I  wonder,  will  there 
rise  in  his  stunted  heart  some  perception  of  what  life 
should  mean ;  of  what  it  shall  mean,  during  my  last 
brief  hold  of  it,  to  me?  and  all  because  of  a  girl's 
bright  trustfulness  and  love." 

It  was  a  day  for  musings.  Even  Fayette,  intent  on 
evil,  had  his  own  —  like  Amy  and  the  lonely  old  man  in 
the  silent  office.  He  wondered,  pausing  for  a  moment, 
how  "  it  would  feel  to  be  blown  up.  That  day  when  I 
found  the  money  he's  took  from  me,  if  I'd  had  a  bigger 
charge  of  powder,  would  I  ha'  knowed  what  struck  me, 
if  it  had  gone  off  sudden  ?  Hmm.  I  almost  hate  to  do 
it.  He  seems — he'll  never  guess,  though,  and  he 
hadn't  any  right.  He's  been  again'  me  from  the  first. 
I'll  do  it.  He  hain't  had  no  mercy  —  I  won't,  neither." 

So  he  crept  softly  back  to  the  low  entrance,  and 
stooping,  struck  a  match.  The  match  burned  well, 
and  in  an  instant  had  communicated  its  own  flame  to 
the  cheap  fuse  that  ran  along  the  wall.  In  the  far-off 
office,  concealed  beneath  the  mill  owner's  desk,  there 
was  already  waiting  a  powerful  explosive,  which  Fay- 
ette had  purloined  from  the  store  of  the  workmen  who 
were  excavating  for  the  new  wing  of  the  building.  In 
a  moment  more  the  fuse  would  have  burned  unnoticed 
to  its  fatal  end,  and  an  awful  crime,  of  whose  enormity 
the  dull  criminal  had  no  real  comprehension,  would 
have  been  committed. 


ONE    WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  355 

But  Hallam  had  caught  the  prevailing  mood.  He, 
like  the  others  left  lingering  about  the  silent  building, 
had  fallen  into  a  reverie  which,  judging  by  his  bright 
expression,  was  full  of  happiness.  For  many  months, 
and  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  he  had  kept  a  secret 
from  his  father  and  Amy.  If  that  can  be  called  a 
secret  which  was  known  also  to  Cleena,  to  Uncle 
Frederic,  and  to  Fayette,  upon  whose  aid  alone  the 
success  of  this  mystery  had  depended.  The  lad  had 
been  faithful.  At  most  times  his  help  had  been  ren- 
dered freely,  out  of  love  and  sympathy ;  at  others  there 
had  been  compulsion  on  Cleena's  side  and  from  the 
other  one  of  the  quartette,  who  had  himself  suffered 
false  blame  and  the  disgrace  of  suspicion  because  of 
the  secret. 

"  To-morrow,  please  God,  it  shall  end.  I  couldn't 
bear  to  tell  them,  who  love  me  so,  until  I  was  sure, 
sure.  The  old  surgeon  said  it  might  be  a  miracle 
would  be  enacted  for  my  benefit.  Well,  it  has,  it  has ! 
I've  known  it,  really,  almost  from  the  beginning,  though 
it's  been  so  hard  and  at  times  so  seemingly  hopeless. 
But  if  I  hadn't  loved  them  even  more  than  myself,  I 
wouldn't  have  kept  on  trying.  To-morrow  —  the  ex- 
periment in  their  presence  !  Will  it  ever  come  !  " 

The  lad  stood  up  and  arranged  the  papers  in  his  own 
desk.  Then  he  heard,  or  fancied  that  he  did,  a  slight 
sound  in  the  deserted  building.  The  corps  of  opera- 
tives had  been  well  drilled  to  watch  for  any  sign  of 


356  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

that  dreaded  element,  fire,  and  he  was  alert  now,  —  the 
more  that,  following  this,  there  was  a  slight  odor,  pun- 
gent and  more  alarming  than  even  the  first  sound. 

He  wheeled  about  and  —  what  was  that  ?  In  the 
dimness  of  the  angle  where  it  lay,  away  out  toward 
that  closed  office  with  its  unsuspecting  occupant,  a  tiny 
spark  was  making-  its  steady,  creeping  progress.  For 
an  instant  Hallam  gazed  at  it  astonished,  the  next  he 
realized  its  full  meaning  and  horror.  Could  he  reach 
it  ?  Was  there  time  ? 

With  a  shriek  of  warning  he  rushed  forward,  —  stum- 
bling against,  leaping  over  obstacles,  —  gaining  upon 
that  menacing  point  of  fire  and  fume,  which  now 
seemed  to  race  him  like  a  living  thing. 

The  miracle  was  wrought  —  two  miracles !  A  few 
more  seconds,  and  it  would  have  been  too  late  ;  but  now 
the  lame  walked  and,  as  it  were,  the  dead  came  back 
to  life. 

Hallam's  shriek,  the  uproar  of  overturned  obstruc- 
tions, reverberated  through  the  empty  building  and 
brought  Archibald  Wingate,  Amy,  and  poor  Fayette 
face  to  face  with  the  panting,  excited  rescuer.  All 
comprehended  at  once  what  had  been  attempted  and 
how  prevented.  The  mill  owner  laid  an  iron  grip  upon 
the  half-wit's  shoulder,  who  made  no  effort  to  escape ; 
for  at  last,  at  last,  there  had  penetrated  to  his  dim  intel- 
ligence the  wide^he  awful  difference  between  good  and 
evil.  When  he  saw  the  once  crippled  lad,  whom  his 


ONE   WONDERFUL    AUTUMN   DAY.  357 

own  hands  had  restored  to  health,  thus  fling  away  his 
life  with  unstinted  hand,  that  he  might  save  the  life 
of  another,  —  once  his  enemy  also, — there  had  roused 
within  the  dormant  brain  of  the  foundling  a  sudden 
perception  of  Hallam's  nobility  and  his  own  baseness. 
Therefore,  stunned  by  this  new  knowledge,  he  stood 
humble  and  unresisting. 

Amy's  great  heart  comprehended  just  what  and  how 
her  poor  protege  was  suffering.  With  her,  to  think 
was  to  act.  She  sprang  to  him  and  laid  her  small  hand 
on  his  other  shoulder,  and  the  tender  sympathy  of  this 
touch  thrilled  him  more  than  the  hard  grasp  of  his 
master. 

"  Oh  !  but  Hallam  —  Hallam — you  walked!  walked! 
you  ran  !  You  —  you  —  who  never  — 

Her  voice  choked,  ceased,  and  she  turned  from  Fay- 
ette  to  fling  herself  headlong  into  her  brother's  arms. 
For  the  first  time  in  their  lives  he  could  receive  her  and 
support  her  firmly.  Then  she  stepped  back  and  shook 
him.  Gently  at  first,  then  violently.  His  crutches  were 
—  nobody  cared  where,  though  certainly  not  at  hand; 
yet  he  stood  fixedly,  resisting  her  attacks,  and  again 
catching  her  to  him  with  that  overflowing  joy  that  only 
such  as  he  could  guess. 

"  But  I  don't  understand.  Tell  —  tell ;  not  here, 
though.  Is  all  safe?  No  danger  any  more?" 

"No,"  said  Fayette  to  her  demand,  "there  ain't  no 
danger.  Not  'less  the  fuse  had  burned  out  to  the  end. 


358  REELS- AND    SPINDLES. 

It's  under  the  desk.  He'll  find  it.  I  —  I — but  it's  put 
out.  I  — 

"  You  didn't  mean  it,  did  you,  boy  ?  You  could  not. 
You  didn't  understand." 

"  No,  I  didn't,  I  didn't,"  whimpered  the  stricken  fellow. 

Mr.  Wingate  relaxed  his  hold.  How  could  he  retain 
his  fury  against  such  an  enemy  ?  It  was  too  unequal. 
The  lad  was  dangerous,  he  must  be  punished,  he  — 

Hallam  read  these  unspoken  thoughts. 

"  For  my  sake,  Cousin  Archibald,  forgive  him.  It  is 
he  who  has  made  me  able  to  save  you  this  day,  even 
though  it  was  he  who  put  you  in  such  peril.  Months 
ago,  Amy  read  in  a  paper  how  a  lad  was  cured  whose 
case  was  just  like  mine.  There  was  only  will  power 
on  the  cripple's  part,  and  the  daily,  sometimes  hourly 
massage  by  one  of  those  persons  whose  physical  mag- 
netism, or  whatever  it  is,  was  strong.  '  Bony  '  was  such 
a  person,  and  I  just  such  a  cripple.  We  began.  For 
weeks  I  couldn't  move  my  legs  without  using  my  hands 
to  help.  Then  one  day  I  found,  just  after  the  rubbing 
was  over,  that  I  could  push  one  foot  along  the  floor  a 
tiny  way.  That  gave  us  both  courage.  He  has  been 
untiring.  We  were  soon  on  the  road  to  what  I  believed, 
though  with  lots  of  set-backs,  would  be  a  cure.  Uncle 
Fred  knew ;  that's  why  he  wouldn't  let  Fayette  be 
arrested  or  punished  for  assaulting  you.  He  took  the 
blame  himself,  if  the  boy  would  stick  to  me.  Cleena 
knew,  too  —  " 


ONE    WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  359 

"  And  not  us,  father  nor  me !  "  exclaimed  Amy,  in  a 
hurt  tone. 

"  No ;  that  was  to  be  my  blessed  surprise  for  you 
two.  It  was  to  your  own  suggestion,  which  I  suppose 
you  forgot  soon  after,  with  the  newspaper  scrap  you 
brought,  that  I  owe  the  beginning.  It  was  Cleena  kept 
us  at  it.  She  wouldn't  let  us  give  it  up,  —  no,  not  if  she 
had  the  whole  crowd  under  lock  and  key  on  a  bread 
and  water  diet ;  eh,  Fayette  ?  " 

The  shamefaced  fellow  looked  up,  with  a  slight 
gleam  in  his  eye,  then  dropped  his  gaze  again. 

Hallam  went  on :  "  To-morrow,  the  First  Day  that 
mother  loved,  I  was  going  to  make  an  experiment 
before  you  all  —  my  surprise.  I  have  practised  in  pri- 
vate continually,  and  uncle,  as  well  as  Cleena,  has 
urged  me  to  tell  you  before ;  but  I  kept  it  till  the  anni- 
versary—  you  know." 

"  Ah,"  said  Archibald  Wingate,  with  a  sudden  recol- 
lection, "so  it  is.  She  was  my  best  friend,  my  best 
beloved.  You  are  her  children.  All  my  hard  middle 
life  seems  to  have  slipped  out  of  my  memory,  like  a  bad 
dream,  and  I  am  back  in  our  youth-time  again,  with 
Salome  and  Cuthbert  and  Fred,  —  all  gay  and  glad 
together.  I  wonder,  I  wonder  what  she  would  bid  me 
do  to  you,  poor  fellow,"  he  finished,  regarding  the  ab- 
ject natural  with  a  pitying  air. 

"  I  know !  Forgive  him,  else  thy  Salome  and  my 
mother  were  not  one." 


36O  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

"Amy,  thee  is  right.  Come  into  the  office,  all  of 
you." 

"  Is  it  safe  ?  "  she  asked,  hanging  back. 

"  We'll  make  it  safe.  '  Bony,'  or  Fayette,  take  that 
stuff  you  put  under  the  desk  and  step  out  there  to  the 
Ardsley.  Behind  that  rock  is  a  deep  hole.  I  used  to 
fish  there  as  a  lad.  I  can  see  if  you  obey.  Drop  that 
death  powder  into  the  stream  and  come  back." 

Fayette  obeyed,  and  they  watched  him,  shivering. 
But  when  the  water  flowed  on  after  an  instant,  undis- 
turbed and  merrily  singing  its  deathless  song,  they 
breathed  deeply  and  with  complete  relief. 

"Look  here,  Fayette;  you  think  I've  been  a  hard 
man.  So  I  have  —  so  I  have.  You've  been  a  bad  boy 
too,  eh  ? " 

"Yes;  I  won't  never  —  " 

"  Of  course  you  won't.  Look  here,  I  say.  What's 
this  —  this  heap  of  stuff  I  took  out  of  the  safe?  Did 
you  ever  see  it  before?" 

"  Yes  ;  it's  the  money  I  blasted  out." 

"  Well,  if  it  were  yours,  would  you  promise  never 
again  to  blast  anything  or  anybody  or  anywhere  ? 
Your  very  own  to  keep  forever,  if  you  liked." 

"  Huckleberries !     Do  you  mean  it  ? " 

"If  you  promise,  I  mean  it." 

"Oh,  I  do  —  I  do.  I'll  keep  my  word.  I  meant  to 
try  and  I  did.  But  it's  over.  I'm  glad;  I  wasn't 
happy,  never.  I  promise,  whether  or  no,  money  or  not." 


ONE    WONDERFUL    AUTUMN    DAY.  361 

"  I  believe  you'll  keep  that  promise :  Hallam  and 
Amy,  here,  are  witnesses.  Now,  listen  :  I,  too,  promise. 
I'll  not  only  give  you  this  old  hoard,  but  this  besides." 
He  swept  into  view  a  pile  of  golden  eagles,  larger  than 
any  there  save  himself  had  ever  seen,  and  placed  it 
beside  that  time-worn  lot  of  similar  material.  In  be- 
stowing his  gift  he  had  provided  to  have  it  in  such 
shape  as  he  knew  the  half-wit  would  best  comprehend. 
"  This  is  for  you,  also.  It  is  just  as  much  more  as  you 
found.  I  give  it  to  you  because  my  little  cousin  here 
has  taught  me  it  is  better  to  give  than  to  receive.  You 
must  take  both  piles,  in  this  new  hand-bag,  and  ask 
Mr.  Metcalf  to  take  care  of  it  for  you.  You  trust  him, 
don't  you  ? " 

"Yes  —  yes,"  answered  Fayette,  in  breathless  eager- 
ness. 

"  Now,  the  condition :  if  you  ever  again,  by  word 
or  deed,  do  any  sort  of  injury  to  any  human  being  or 
to  any  helpless  animal,  I  will  have  you  punished,  pun- 
ished in  full  for  all  you  have  done  wrong  in  the  past. 
Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  sobbed  the  grateful  and  greatly  excited  youth. 
Somewhere  he  had  heard,  maybe  from  Cleena's  lips, 
something  about  heaping  coals.  He  felt  at  that  moment 
as  if  the  living  coals  were  lying  upon  his  own  poor  head. 

"  Then  go ;  and  if  it  will  give  you  any  pleasure  to 
know  it,  I  believe  that  you  are  now  about  the  richest 
of  the  mill  operatives  living  in  Ardsley  village." 


362  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

Stumbling,  through  his  tears,  and  truly  far  more 
grateful  for  the  prevention  of  his  crime  than  even  for 
his  unexpected  good  fortune  and  full  forgiveness, 
Cleena's  Fayetty  went. 

As  his  footsteps  died  away,  Amy,  who  seemed  given 
to  outbursts  to  relieve  her  full  heart,  threw  her  arms 
about  the  old  man's  neck  and  kissed  him  over  and  over. 

"That's  better,  child,  that's  better.  The  first  time 
thee  planted  it  on  my  nose,  I  seemed  to  have  a  dim 
perception  that  this  was  not  the  regulation  feature  for 
such  gifts,  but  it  answered;  though  I  like  them  better 
on  my  cheek,  child.  Thee's  improving.  Now  let's  go 
home.  Yes ;  it's  the  carryall.  There's  room  for  us 
all.  On  the  way  I'll  tell  thee  — " 

"  No,  no  ;  wait  till  we  get  home.  Don't  let's  leave 
anybody  out  any  more.  By  thy  face  I  can  see  it's 
something  delightful  thee  is  going  to  tell.  Oh,  make 
the  old  horse  travel,  travel  —  fast,  fast !  " 


CHAPTER   XXIX. 

CONCLUSION. 

ON  half-holidays  Cleena  had  always  the  best  din- 
ner of  the  week.  To  its  enjoyment  were  usu- 
ally brought  the  best  appetites  of  the  week  as  well ;  for 
there  was  leisure  and  talk  and  laughter,  and  that  inter- 
change of  experiences  which  kept  their  family  life  so 
united. 

Archibald  Wingate  joined  the  party  at  this  present 
half-holiday  dinner ;  yet  even  with  such  cheerfulness 
about  him  could  not  but  shiver  now  and  then,  as  he 
recalled  his  narrow  escape  of  the  afternoon.  To  have 
taken  his  meal  alone,  on  that  day,  would  have  been  to 
suffer  greatly. 

But  Amy  had  brought  him  in  and  placed  him  in  the 
seat  of  honor,  and  amid  the  general  rejoicing  over  Hal- 
lam's  wonderful  recovery  and  surprise,  they  had  made 
him  feel  that  he  was  a  sharer.  They  had  just  drawn 
back  from  the  table,  and  were  going  into  the  sitting 
room,  when  there  came  a  tap  at  the  door  that  Cleena 
answered.  It  was  a  small  tap,  very  low  down  on  the 
panel,  but  it  was  given  due  importance  ;  for  wasn't  the 
visitor  Master  "  Willyum  Gladstone  Jones,"  and  wasn't 
363 


364  REELS   AND    SPINDLES. 

Cleena  just  making  fine  progress  in  teaching  him  his 
"  manners  "  ? 

So  they  all  paused  to  wait  the  child's  important  en- 
trance, and  to  smile  over  Goodsoul's  greeting :  — 

"  The  top  o'  the  evenin'  to  you,  Mister  Jones.  An' 
what  may  be  givin'  us  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  from  your 
lordship  the  now  ?  A  what  ?  Speak  up ;  a  box  is 
it  ?  Miss  Amy's  box.  Never  a  doubt  I  doubt  you've 
made  messes  of  its  insides,  by  the  way.  No  ?  Then 
your  improvin',  to  that  extent  I  must  even  be  givin'  ye 
a  bite  o'  this  fine  apple  pie.  Hmm ;  exactly.  Well, 
give  the  young  lady  her  bit  property,  again'  I  slips  on 
a  plate  an'  teaches  ye  how  to  eat  decent,  as  ye  should." 

So  the  little  fellow,  who  had  just  been  promoted  to 
his  first  trousers  and  felt  as  all  boys  do  in  such  a  case, 
walked  proudly  across  the  room  and  offered  Amy  a 
japanned  casket. 

"  Why,  Sir  William,  how  came  you  by  that  ?  I 
haven't  seen  it  for  ever  so  long.  I  used  to  keep  my 
few  letters  in  it.  I  wonder  if  they're  here  now." 

"  Ev'y  one.  My  mamma  seen  'em  all.  She  said 
the  top  one —  I  don't  know.  Somefin." 

"  Arrah  musha !  but  I  remember  one  day,  long  syne, 
he  was  aye  botherin'  an'  I  set  him  to  orderin'  the  box 
neat  an'  nice.  He  must  ha'  took  it  away  with  him  an' 
me  not  payin'  no  attention.  Well,  a  box  o'  such  truck's 
neither  here  no  more  there,  I  forecast." 

Amy  had  stopped  to  admire  the  new  garment,  fash- 


CONCLUSION.  365 

ioned  from  an  old  one  of  Hallam's,  and  having  thus 
satisfied  the  little  one's  innocent  pride,  now  opened  her 
recovered  keepsake.  She  lifted  the  letters  idly,  dropped 
them,  and  again  catching  one  that  had,  indeed,  lain  upon 
the  top,  sprang  up  and  waved  it  overhead. 

"  The  letter !   the  letter !     The  lost  one  of  Adam  !  " 

"  No  ;  is  it  really  ?     To  come  in  such  a  way  —  " 

"  On  such  a  day  —  oh,  Hal !  " 

She  caught  her  brother's  hands  and  wrung  them  in 
delight,  then  ran  to  her  father  and  placed  the  letter 
before  him. 

He  looked  at  it  critically. 

"  Yes  ;  that  is  Adam  Burn's  handwriting.  His  own 
familiar  seal.  These  people  who  have  had  it  in  keep- 
ing—" 

"  I  hided  it.  Zen  I  dugged  it  out.  Same  like 
Fayetty,"  explained  Sir  William,  between  mouthfuls. 

"The  blessed  baby  !  that  explains." 

"  Let  us  go  into  the  parlor  and  read  it.  It  is  yours, 
daughter ;  you  must  yourself  break  the  seal." 

"  Oh,  I'll  break  it  fast  enough." 

"  Hmm.  Young  lady,  I  thought  you  were  the  girl 
who  didn't  want  to  be  an  heiress,"  commented  Uncle 
Fred,  teasingly. 

Amy's  face  sobered. 

"You  are  right.  I  didn't  so  wish  then,  when  the 
shock  and  sorrow  were  fresh  ;  but  now  I  do.  Just  think 
of  all  the  comfort  for  all  you  folks  in  that  lovely  home." 


366  REELS    AND    SPINDLES. 

"  Then  I  must  lose  my  tenants,  eh  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Win- 
gate,  smiling. 

"  Thee'll  lose  nothing !  Wait.  If  thee  has  plans  to 
tell,  so  have  I." 

The  letter  was  a  simple  one,  plain,  and  leaving  no 
room  for  any  sort  of  legal  difficulty.  Amy  could  enter 
upon  her  heritage  that  day,  if  she  wished.  The  place 
where  the  will  was  stored  was  designated,  and  they 
knew  it  would  there  be  found.  But  after  the  reading 
a  little  silence  fell  upon  them  all. 

The  old  mill  owner  was  the  first  to  break  this.  He 
did  it  almost  reverently. 

"  Speaking  of  wills,  and  after  the  events  of  the  day, 
I've  been  thinking  of  mine.  By  the  way,  Amy,  I 
suppose  thee'll  cease  to  work  for  me  now." 

"  I  don't  see  why  I  should,  unless  my  father  needs 
me  at  home.  We  will  see  about  that  afterward.  Tell 
us  thy  plans,  please.  I'd  like  to  hear  them." 

"  And  I'd  like  to  have  thee  make  them  for  me." 

"  Make  them  ?     I  ? " 

"  Yes ;  in  truth  and  deed.  If  thee  were  me  and 
had  as  much  money  as  I  have,  and  were  just  such  a 
lonely,  childless,  forlorn  old  man,  what  would  thee  do, 
that  would  accomplish  the  most  good  ?  according  to 
thy  judgment,  which  I  have  found  a  fairly  sound  one." 

The  elder  Kayes  listened  in  astonishment.  They 
had  been  prepared  by  various  matters  for  a  great 
change  in  their  kinsman,  though  not  for  one  so  radi- 


CONCLUSION.  367 

cal.  But  the  father  began  to  perceive  how  this  change 
had  been  wrought,  and  his  heart  gave  thanks  for  the 
devoted,  sunshiny  daughter  who  seemed  to  shed  an 
influence  for  happiness  and  goodness  on  all  whom  she 
knew.  It  was  due  to  her,  he  believed,  that  this  new 
Archibald  had  replaced  the  old. 

"  Does  thee  mean  it,  truly  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  I  mean  it.  Let  me  hear.  If  it  is  possible,  I 
will  carry  out  the  wishes  thee  expresses,  knowing  they 
will  be  all  for  the  benefit  of  somebody  deserving." 

"  Well,  then,  I'd  help  the  unpractical  Kaye  family  to 
get  settled  at  Burnside  Farm,  on  the  condition  that  for 
my  services  I  was  given  a  big,  delightful  room  in  the 
old  farmhouse,  to  live  in  and  with  them,  forever  and 
ever  and  ever,  so  long  as  the  dear  Lord  permitted 
—  that's  if  I  were  thee,  Cousin  Archibald." 

"  But  would  that  ne'er-do-well  Kaye  family  take  in 
an  old  curmudgeon,  does  thee  think  ?  " 

"  Never.  A  curmudgeon  is  a  thing  they  detest. 
They'd  take  in  a  nice,  fat,  old  fellow,  whose  heart  was 
so  big  it  made  his  body  grow  to  hold  it,  and  who  meant 
to  do  all  the  good  with  his  money  that  his  money  would 
do,  and  not  leave  it  for  anybody  to  squabble  over  after 
he  died." 

"  Excellent,  Miss  Wisdom  ;  proceed." 

"  After  I'd  got  a  niche  at  Burnside,  I'd  take  '  Charity 
House '  and  remodel  it  into  a  Modern  Industrial  School. 
I'd  have  '  designing  '  taught,  in  regular  classes,  by  a 


368  REELS   AND   SPINDLES. 

well-known  artist,  named  Cuthbert  Kaye.  I'd  have 
agriculture  under  the  instruction  of  another  expert, 
Frederic  Kaye.  I'd  have  a  school  of  scientific  cookery 

—  not  by  you,  my  Cleena,  but  by  somebody  who  hates 
pies  and  adores  oatmeal  and  et  cetera.     No,   really,  I 
do  think  the  mill  folks  should  understand  more  about 
foods  and  their  uses.     They'd  save  so  much  money  and 

—  dyspepsia." 

"  Hurry  up.     Where  do  I  come  in  ? " 
"  At  the  mercantile  college  end  of  the  establishment, 
learned  brother.     There  should  be  a  splendid  library,  a 
gymnasium,  a  swimming  pool  — 

"  A  swimming  pool  on  the  top  of  Bareacre  knoll !  " 
"  Please   don't   interrupt,    Hal.      It's   impolite.      I'd 
have    it  —  somewhere.      I'd   have   a   paddock   full   of 
burros  —  " 

"They're  already  ordered,"  cried  Archibald,  forget- 
ting everything  in  his  enjoyment  of  her  happy  face. 
"  Am  I  to  continue  ?     May  I  let  my  fancy  riot  ?  " 
"  Yes,  indeed  ;  give  thyself  full  freedom  for  once." 
"Then  I'd  take  beautiful  Fairacres,  that  has  been  a 
happy  home  for  generations,  and  I'd  make  it  a  Happy 
Home,  with  capital  letters.     I'd  call  to  it  all  the  tired 
and  ailing  mill  folks  in  the  country.     I'd  make  its  dis- 
used studio  and  book  rooms  into  a  hospital,  and  where 
father  painted  his  picture  of  pain,  that  he  destroyed, 
let  all  pain  be  soothed ;  and  all  the  other  big  chambers 
into  havens  of  rest  for  other  girls  who,  unlike  me,  have 


CONCLUSION.  369 

no  fathers,  nor  Uncle  Freds,  nor  Hallams,  nor  Cousin 
Archibalds,  nor  anybody.  I'd  have  Mary  Reese  trained 
to  be  its  Little  Mother ;  and  Archibald  Wingate  should 
be  full  manager  of  all,  beloved  and  venerated,  reaping 
the  happiness  he  has  himself  bestowed ;  and  oh,  cousin, 
if  it  might  be  true !  and  if  I  were  not  out  of  breath  ! 
There  !  have  I  '  rioted  '  enough  ? " 

Mr.  Wingate  turned  his  head  sidewise  and  looked 
admiringly  upon  the  unselfish  girl  who  had  planned  so 
much  for  others,  and  had  not,  apparently,  remembered 
to  plan  anything  for  herself. 

"  Yes  ;  thee  has  rioted  enough.  But,  little  one,  if 
thee  pleases,  if  my  other  kinsfolk  here  so  please ;  if  the 
dead  past  is  indeed  the  dead  past,  and  the  future  may 
be  our  happy  own,  there  is  no  reason  under  the  blue 
heaven  why  thee  has  not  prophesied  aright.  What  say, 
my  friends  ?  Shall  Amy's  word  be  that  which  the 
Spirit  has  moved  her  to  say  ?  Shall  we  make  it  real 
and  tangible,  this  beautiful,  helpful  dream  of  hers  ? 
You  are  all  interested  alike.  You  are  my  next  of  kin. 
After  me  you  will  inherit  —  or  these  others  whom  she 
has  named.  Was  Amy's  word  the  true  Word,  Cuth- 
bert  ?  The  word  Salome  would  have  spoken  ?  " 

"  It  was  the  true  Word,  Archibald.  Let  it  be  as 
Salome's  child  has  spoken,"  said  Cuthbert  Kaye,  grasp- 
ing his  kinsman's  hand. 

And  all  Ardsley  now  knows  that  as  it  was  then 
agreed,  so  it  is,  and  will  remain. 

2  B 


A    DAUGHTER 
OF    THE    WEST 

THE  STORY  OF  AN  AMERICAN  PRINCESS 
By  Evelyn  Raymond 
347  PP-    Cloth.  $z.jo 


California  ranch  life  is  the  setting  of  this  bright  story  for 
young  people.  It  will  read  like  a  fairy  tale  to  those  who 
know  nothing  of  the  wideness  of  life  on  a  great  ranch  as 
compared  with  our  overcrowded  Eastern  city  existence.  The 
story  "moves."  Incident  follows  incident  with  rapidity 
enough  to  maintain  interest,  and  the  teachings  of  the  book 
tend  to  a  sturdy  wholesomeness  throughout. —  Epworth 
Herald. 

¥ 

It  is  not  often  that  a  woman  succeeds  in  writing  an  Indian 
story,  exciting  enough  to  commend  itself  to  boys,  yet  with  a 
girl  for  its  principal  character,  and  with  the  noblest  of  teach- 
ings throughout  the  tale;  but  in  "A  Daughter  of  the  West" 
Evelyn  Raymond  has  accomplished  precisely  that  feat.  The 
scene  is  laid  among  the  broad  valleys  and  lofty  mountains  of 
California,  and  every  chapter  is  crowded  full  of  incident. — 
Christian  Endeavor  World. 

¥ 

This  story  of  our  western  plains  will  appeal  to  many  a 
youthful  reader.  The  heroine,  beloved  by  her  people,  the 
community,  and  even  by  the  neighboring  Indian  tribes,  carries 
the  interest  of  the  reader  to  the  final  page.  Her  courage  in 
time  of  personal  danger,  her  sweet  disposition  in  her  relations 
with  those  around  her,  are  well  depicted  by  the  author.  The 
book  is  well  illustrated  and  attractively  bound,  and  cannot 
fail  to  be  a  success. — Journal  of  Education. 


A     DAUGHTER    OF     THE    WEST 


This  "Daughter  of  the  West"  is  one  of  the  freshest, 
breeziest,  most  wholesome  stories  we  have  read  in  a  long 
time.  The  scene  has  a  California  ranch  for  its  setting.  But 
the  writer  tells  her  story  in  such  a  natnral  and  charming 
style,  that  we  relish  every  word  of  it. —  Christian  Observer. 

¥ 

"A  Daughter  of  the  West,"  by  Evelyn  Raymond,  is  a  story  of 
California  ranch  life,  of  which  Patience  Eliot  is  the  heroine. 
By  severe  experience  she  comes  to  hold  herself  and  all  her 
large  belongings  of  wealth  as  a  sacred  trust,  to  be  spent  in  the 
service  of  others.  The  story  is  one  which  will  tend  to  quicken 
the  nobler  aspirations  of  all  young  women. —  The  Advance. 

¥ 

This  story  of  Evelyn  Raymond's  is  not  lacking  in  exciting 
incident,  at  least,  even  though  it  is  not  a  love  tale.  Patience 
Eliot,  the  heroine,  a  California  girl  born  and  bred,  as  much 
at  home  in  the  saddle  as  the  wildest  rider  of  the  plains, 
exhibits  her  training  in  season  and  out,  and  though  she 
startles  certain  more  conventional  people  with  her  ways,  she 
illustrates  well  the  excellence  of  the  training  of  Nature's 
child.  The  atmosphere  of  the  greater  pait  of  the  story  is 
that  of  Southern  California,  with  its  mingled  society  of 
Mexicans,  Indians  and  reckless  frontiersmen,  and  among  them 
the  heroine  lives  and  thrives.  It  is  a  healthful  out-of-door 
story,  wholesomely  interesting  and  alive. —  Colorado  School 
Journal. 

¥ 

"A  Daughter  of  the  West,"  by  Evelyn  Raymond,  the  story 
of  an  American  princess,  is  a  narrative  of  California  ranch  life. 
It  Affords  a  pleasant  picture  of  that  sort  of  life,  and  portrays 
effectively  a  certain  type  of  training  for  the  young.  It  also 
illustrates  the  striking  changes  that  sometimes  occur  in  per- 
sonal careers  in  a  country  like  our  own.  It  is  full  of  incident, 
and  will  promote  patriotism  and  a  high  ideal  of  life. —  The 
Congregationalist. 


A    GIRL   OF    '76 


By  Amy  E.  Blanchard 
331  pp.     Cloth.     $1.30 


"A  Girl  of  '76,"  by  Amy  E.  Blanchard,  is  one  of  the  best 
stories  of  old  Boston  and  its  vicinity  ever  written.  The  value 
of  the  book  as  real  history,  and  as  an  incentive  to  further 
historical  study  can  hardly  be  over-estimated.  —  The  Book- 
seller. « 

This  is  one  of  the  season's  books  that  deserves  a  wide 
reading  among  the  girls.  The  events  in  which  Elizabeth 
Hall,  the  heroine,  took  part  occurred  in  those  stirring  times, 
beginning  with  the  Boston  Tea  Party.  The  call  to  Lexing- 
ton, Battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  and  the  burning  of  Charlestown 
follow,  and  in  all  these  the  little  maid  bears  her  share  of  the 
general  anxiety  and  privation  with  a  fortitude  which  makes 
wholesome  reading. —  Watchman. 
¥ 

The  manners  and  customs  of  that  time  are  vividly  pictured 
in  this  interesting  and  well  written  story,  and  while  we  joy- 
fully reach  the  "peace"  chapter  with  which  it  ends,  we  are 
truly  sorry  to  part  with  this  charming  girl  of  "76.— Journal. 
¥ 

The  tale  is  told  with  sentiment  and  vivacity,  giving  bright 
pictures  of  a  singing  school,  a  quilting  bee,  and  other  old- 
time  entertainments.  It  is  just  the  book  for  the  youngest  of 
the  D.  A.  R.  societies,  and  is  dedicated  to  "  My  Revolution- 
ary Sires." — Literary  World. 

¥ 

It  is  a  thoroughly  well-told  tale,  and  of  so  genuine  a  charm 
as  to  challenge  the  interest  of  readers  other  than  the  young- 
sters. Here  too,  the  pictures  are  of  actual  merit,  and  de- 
mand a  share  in  the  well  deserved  praise  bestowed  upon  the 
book  as  a  whole. — S.  S.  Times. 


A   REVOLUTIONARY  MAID. 

A  STORY  OF  THE  MIDDLE  PERIOD 
O F  T H E  W A R  FOR  INDEPENDENCE. 

321  pp.     Cloth.     $150. 

It  is  charmingly  written,  and  the  young  reader  will  not 
only  enjoy  it  as  a  story,  but  will  also  get  a  very  clear 
knowledge  of  that  part  of  history  which  relates  to  the  war  of 
the  Revolution.  The  little  "  Revolutionary  Maid,"  Kitty 
DeWitt,  is  a  plucky  little  Whig,  and  full  of  courage;  her 
presence  of  mind,  on  many  occasions,  saves  her  and  others 
from  the  Red  coats.  —  Christian  Observer. 

n 

Amy  E.  Blanchard's  "  A  Revolutionary  Maid "  sets  a 
charming  heroine  in  the  middle  period  of  the  Revolutionary 
War,  and  keeps  her  a  stanch  little  patriot  in  spite  of  her 
Tory  surroundings. — Detroit  Free  Press. 

¥ 

The  plot  of  the  story  before  us,  without  being  intricate,  is 
ingenious  and  the  interest  in  the  characters  is  fully  sustained 
throughout.  The  trying  experiences  of  Kitty  DeWitt  were 
those  of  a  multitude  of  girls  and  women,  and  their  decision 
for  patriotism  was  a  power  in  shaping  the  great  national 
events  which  followed.  Such  books  are  educational  in 
patriotism.  The  more  American  girls  are  made  to  feel  and 
know  their  power  and  influence  in  national  affairs  the  better. 

—  The  Inter-Ocean. 

¥ 

Among  the  large  number  of  Revolutionary  Books  in  the 
new  literature,  "A  Revolutionary  Maid"  is  not  merely  re- 
markably entertaining,  but  also  unique. — Boston  Journal. 

¥ 

There  could  be  no  better  material  with  which  to  give  an 
historical  flavoring  to  a  story  than  the  New  Jersey  campaign, 
the  battle  of  Germantown,  and  the  winter  at  Valley  Forge. 
Miss  Blanchard  has  made  the  most  of  a  large  opportunity, 
and  produced  a  happy  companion  book  to  her  "  Girl  of  '76." 

—  The  Christian  Endeavor  World. 


AN  HISTORICAL  NOVEL 

A    SON    OF    THE 
REVOLUTION 

IN     THE     DAYS     OF 
BURR'S  CONSPIRACY 

By  Elbridge  S.  Brooks 
301  pages.     Cloth,  $1.50 


Mr.  Brooks  knows  how  to  catch  and  hold  the  attention  of 
boys  and  girls.  In  this  story  of  Aaron  Burr's  conspiracy  he 
is  very  happy,  choosing  scenes  and  incidents  of  picturesque 
American  history  and  weaving  them  into  a  patriotic  and  stir- 
ringly romantic  narrative.  The  young  hero  is  a  fine  character 
strongly  presented,  and  from  first  page  to  last  the  interest  is 
lively.  We  heartily  recommend  the  book  to  our  young  readers 
as  one  sure  to  please  and  instruct  them.  —  The  Independent. 

¥ 

Elbridge  S.  Brooks  has  written  nothing  better  than  "  A 
Son  of  the  Revolution."  Designed  for  boys,  it  is  so  spirited 
and  interesting,  dealing  as  it  does  with  little  known  episodes 
in  our  past  history  as  a  nation,  that  it  will  gain  many  readers 
in  the  ranks  of  the  grown  up.  It  is  really  as  the  sub-title 
says,  "an  historical  novel"  of  the  days  of  Aaron  Burr,  when 
he  was  conspiring  to  create  a  western  empire.  A  young 
fellow  full  of  enthusiasm  and  patriotism,  named  Tom  Ed- 
wards, comes  under  the  fascination  of  Burr,  and  works  with 
him  for  quite  a  period  before  considering  his  true  aims  and 
real  character.  When  the  day  of  awakening  comes,  the  fight 
with  his  conscience  is  thrilling.  No  better  book  for  boys 
can  be  mentioned,  nor  one  so  rich  in  lessons  of  true  patri- 
otism. —  The  Publishers  Weekly. 


A    SON     OF    THE    REVOLUTION 


Elbridge  S.  Brooks  has  told  in  "  A  Son  of  the  Revolution  " 
a  story  which  will  stimulate  the  patriotism  of  all  young 
Americans.  He  relates  the  adventures  of  an  Ohio  lad  who 
was  a  relative  of  Aaron  Burr  and  had  implicit  faith  in  that 
brilliant  but  unprincipled  statesman.  The  story  is  remark- 
ably well  told  and  it  is  finely  illustrated.  —  The  San  Francisco 
Chronicle. 

¥ 

Mr.  Brooks  in  this  volume  presents  to  his  readers  a  new 
field  of  interest  and  importance.  No  one  incident  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  country,  as  a  nation,  is  so  full  of  the  picturesque 
as  the  wild  scheme  of  treason  which  stirred  the  soul  of  Aaron 
Burr  to  plot  against  the  country  he  had  struggled  to  estab- 
lish. Every  boy  ought  to  know  the  history  of  this  arch 
traitor.  —  The  Awakener. 

¥ 

In  this  volume  the  author  touches  upon  a  field  of  interest 
but  little  known,  and  concerning  which  but  slight  attention 
has  been  given  by  historians  and  novelists. 

Burr's  conspiracy,  although  not  now  considered  as  an  his- 
torical event  of  marked  importance,  yet,  during  the  period  of 
opening  up  the  middle  western  states  was  a  serious  episode 
in  the  nation's  career.  With  this  period  and  the  events  con- 
nected therewith  the  author  has  interested  himself,  and  has 
presented  to  the  reader  a  novel  of  intense  feeling  of  patri- 
otism and  loyalty  to  the  government. 

Coming  at  this  time,  when  national  affairs  are  strongest 
in  the  minds  of  the  people,  we  predict  for  this  story  a  wide- 
spread success.  — Journal  of  Education. 
¥ 

An  historical  of  Aaron  Burr's  time,  by  Elbridge  S.  Brooks, 
presenting  the  story  of  the  adventures  of  the  "young  son" 
as  faithful  facts  of  history,  but  in  an  interesting  and  inspiring 
way  which  will  hold  and  help  the  young  reader.  —  The  Inter- 
national Evangel. 


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